Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie was definitely a cute rom-com. Enemies to lovers and fake dating are usually my jam so I was excited about this one. I really loved the cultural references and the family drama.

I do have to say I was able to connect more with Mark than Emily. Emily seemed like she couldn’t move past constant complaining and negativity. It made the book drag a little and was rather slow at times.

While this book wasn’t really my jam, I can see how others might love it. I definitely want to read more from the author in the future.

Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.

This was a little slow to get into, but once all of the characters were introduced and the plot fleshed out a little more, I was much more interested.

Emily is a struggling author in her mid-thirties who has always felt like a failure in her mothers' eyes both because of her career choice and relationship status. After much consternation, 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.

This was a fun twist on fake dating because it was truly fake. It was entertaining to see Emily's dynamic with her family and the excuses she came up with. I especially loved reading about her interactions with her spunky nieces.

Ultimately, I wish there wasn't an enemies to lovers subplot here because I did not buy that at all. Like many other stories with that trope, it wasn't clear or believable that Mark and Emily were enemies. This was still entertaining to read, but it would've made more sense to me if it were solely a fake dating story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

This book was fine. I found the cultural storyline of a meddling mother playing matchmaker to her daughter feeling like a been there, done that story line. It did have a nice mother/daughter resolution, however. My biggest issue were the characters. The FMC had so much potential as an author and woman finding her way against the grain, but she came across as very immature. The MMC felt like a cardboard cutout. He was so stiff and felt like a caricature. I had trouble believing they're fake dating to lovers relationship. The siblings, extended family, roommates and other side character all jumble together. None of them were easily distinguishable. The story gets better as it goes on, but in a saturated world of rom-coms I fear I will forget this one. I did love that MMC had a cat named Ms. Muffins. Silly, cute and swoony always wins for me!

Thank you to the publisher for the netgalley widget.

2.5 Stars
I enjoyed this when I first started it but the FMC, Emily got so unbearable as the book went on, especially with the “conflict” because it was the most unnecessary problem ever and she really lacked maturity and growth. The MMC, Marc literally had no personality and pretty much admitted that as well, he was just there and his POV chapters actually made him come off more one dimensional than anything. I hated the ending in this because I just did not want these 2 together and by the end I did not like Emily at all. The spicy scenes were also lacking in this a bit for me and I wish their relationship was developed better. Just an okay romance read, definitely prefer her other books to this one though.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

I loved this book. It was the perfect mix of culture and romance. I am also always a sucker for a fake dating book. Well written. Thank you for the arc.

To start off, I LOVED all the Canadian references and the characters in this book! One of my biggest struggles with people who write Canadian characters is the fear that they’re going to fill that character with stereotypes and I’m SO glad that Jackie Lau did not do that! With all the Toronto references, I’m now very curious if some of these food places that were mentioned are real cause they sounded so good and seemed like places I might need to check out!

I loved the characters and reading a story about Asian Canadians! This was cute and funny and, overall, really enjoyable! I’m definitely going to have to check out her other books now simply because I enjoyed the writing style and the story of this book.

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau is a charming book about finding love where you least expect to – on your mother’s list of suitable men (oh no)!

Emily Hung is a part-time barista, a debut author, and a full-time skeptic. When her mother tells her she has the perfect man picked out for her, Emily is 100% OFF-board. At least until she realizes that, if they play their cards right, pretending to date might just give them both a much-needed respite from their mothers.

Mark Chan is serious, private, and not interested in Emily Hung – at least until she comes to him with a fake dating scheme that he finds ridiculous (he thinks?). Intrigued by her confidence in her plan, he goes along with it – but quickly finds himself falling for Emily’s charm, even as he’s frustrated by her seeming inability to pick up on the hints that he’s dropping that he’d rather their fake relationship turn into the real deal.

I loved Mark and Emily’s slow, sometimes frustrating, build-up from acquaintances, to friends, to budding love interests, to all-in partners. I thought the ties to Pride and Prejudice were well done – Emily was completely convinced she knew who Mark was and how he would think and act in every situation, much like Elizabeth assuming she understood Darcy’s motivations – while, of course, being wildly off-base. Mark was perfectly broody – but, in this book, we got to see some of the story from his perspective, which was a big plus! So, unlike Pride and Prejudice, we didn’t have to wait for Mark to write a fateful letter to change Emily’s mind, we got to see communication actually work in the characters’ favor (a BIG win when it comes to the miscommunication trope, in my opinion). I also thought the nod to Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones’ Diary (another love story inspired directly by Pride and Prejudice) was both clever and well-done.

Another aspect of this book I really enjoyed was Emily’s relationship with her mom. At first, she seems much like a Mrs. Bennett – overly involved in the decisions her children are making and putting her own desires for them first. However, the twist at the end of the book gave Emily and her mom’s relationship much more nuance – and I loved that they were able to see things from each other’s perspective and come to an understanding. While Mark didn’t get his letter writing moment as the “Darcy” character, it felt like Emily’s mom did, and honestly, I think that was a meaningful change that really resonated with me as a reader by the end of the book.

If you’re a fan of Jane Austen, loveable rom-coms, and relate-ably Millennial characters, definitely pick up Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie!

If you're looking for a fake dating trope, this is a great read. You can't help but root for Emily, an author frustrated by her family's expectation for her to find a guy and settle down yesterday. When her mother relentlessly brings up a guy named Mark, she is exasperated.

When they eventually start talking, Mark and Emily agree to some fake dating to buy time... and don't expect what will come in terms of what it means across relationships with others.

Empathetic characters, set in Toronto, loved this! Thank you to Netgalley and to Atria for the ARC.

This was such a fun rom-com setup. I always love fake dating, but the added layer of fake dating the guy your mom wants you to really date was hilarious. It’s obvious from the start how this scheme will end, but it’s still a lot of fun to get there. There’s a hint of pride and prejudice with Emily’s assumptions about Mark, and I enjoyed seeing her preconceived notions crumble. The romance is sweet, and I promise you’ll be a fan.

No spoilers but there’s a stylistic writing choice about halfway through the book that completely surprised me and totally worked. I almost wish the whole book had been written that way.

Emily Hung is 33, a published author/barista, and single. And she’s mostly content with her life- even though others may judge her choices. To avoid the constant matchmaking from her Mom, her and the latest man she’s set up with, Mark Chan, decide to give fake dating each other a try. But first impressions aren’t always correct - and before long, fake dating starts to feel awfully real.

I loved this romance! It was so sweet (and a little spicy) while also tackling real-life topics in writing and publishing, and explored life for singles dealing with familial expectations. I’ve never been to Toronto (except when I was a kid) and now I want to explore all the amazing sounding foods.

Also, Mark’s cat has the best name, you’ll need to read the book to find it out (just like Emily had to wait until they met face to face).

I received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

I think it’s ironic that the premise of this book is that a 33 year old woman doesn’t want to date a man her Mom wants her to date due to her perception that the man is boring, because boring is exactly how I’d describe this.
Emily Hung is 33 years old, the second oldest of 5 sisters, and the only one who isn’t married. On the day of her youngest sister’s wedding, Emily’s mom informs her she has invited Mark Chan to the wedding as Emily’s date. One glance at Mark tells Emily everything she needs to know about him and she is definitely not interested in this boring fuddy-duddy of a man. She doesn’t want her Mom to continue to hound her so she comes up with a scheme to pretend to date Mark. Mark is game to play along and somewhere along the way fake starts blending with real.
I really wanted to like this book, but it’s just so bland. While the premise is cute and the characters seem lovely, it doesn’t feel like there’s any real substance and the characters feel two dimensional, instead of popping off the pages. I was actually quite shocked to find this isn’t the author’s first or second novel because the writing just isn’t that of a seasoned author. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for an advanced copy of this. Love, Lies, and Cherry Pies hit the shelves on May 7th.

Told mainly from the point of view of the heroine, this book explores a fake dating situation that, of course, turns into a full blown relationship by the end of the book.
Writer and barista Emily Hung has a mother who is full bore into matchmaking. Emily is the second of five girls and her youngest sister just got married leaving her as the only single child. Add in the fact that she's working in the arts and she just feels like her mother doesn't approve of Emily's lifestyle. Enter, Mark Chung. The son of Emily's mother's friend, he is held up as a paragon. And at her sister's wedding, Emily is forced to spend time with the man. Mark, spends most of that time on his phone. Obviously, he isn't very interested either. But, to get her mother off their backs, they decide to fake date. This gets very involved with cake decorating dates and meeting to sync their stories.
It is during these meetings that Emily starts to notice that Mark may be different than she originally assumed. Not quite as lofty and maybe, just maybe, he is interested in her too.
I wish we had gotten more time with Mark. I think we were almost three quarters of the way through the book when we switch to his perspective. Because we saw so much from Emily's side, I was left feeling that there was more to explore from him.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out April 7, 2024
ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

This was so freaking cute!

I loved so many things about this book! I really liked that both Emily and Mark were older MCs, navigating dating while balancing their careers. The family meddling was so realistic and I loved the humor that it brought to the novel. I loved how Emily's relationship with her mother grew as the story evolved and it truly made my heart so happy.

Mark was truly giving stern brunch daddy vibes and it was so sweet getting to uncover his true personality as Emily and he got to know each other better. I just loved the little nods to Pride and Prejudice throughout the text and I thought that this book was a love letter to the writing community.

There were times where Emily did annoy me a bit; when she was assuming of Mark's opinion towards her, and it was completely wrong. However, I did love her journey as a writer and the confidence that she gained when switching genre's. As someone who works in the entertainment industry and has a creative job, I loved the realism of advocating for artistic jobs in comparison to that of the every day. It was incredibly relatable, and I felt so seen while reading.

Overall, a good time! I was able to listen to the audiobook and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

Thank you Atria, Jackie Lau, and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Very cheesy funny, romcom humor. The main character is 33 which is always nice to have a main character in their 30s! Emily does refer to herself as old a lot, which as a 25 year old didn’t bother me – but I’m sure as a 30-something this would get old very fast! It’s totally part of the story since she's 33, getting set up by her mom, being a barista until her writing career takes off, etc. Her life isn’t where she wants it to be, so it makes sense that her age is something that is constantly on her mind. Especially when all of her other sisters are married and she has a horrible sister who had kids with a bare minimum man and wants everyone else to be miserable because of it.

Sweater vests are mentioned quite a lot, not sure if I’ll ever see them the same! Can’t decide if I hate them or love them. I don’t know if I know anyone who wears sweater vests!

Before the character’s acknowledge their feelings to themselves (this isn’t a spoiler, its in the summary), their connection is so bare minimum. When Emily is talking about potentially liking him, most of her feelings come from not being with a man in a while. Mark is pretty boring until they start to acknowledge their feelings. I feel like they just enjoyed each others company rather than sparks flying – which can be really realistic for the start of a relationship! Afterwards, I liked him!

We don’t get Mark’s perspective until about 60% into the book which I thought was so unique!

Their reason for not being able to end the fake dating wasn’t my favorite.

The spicy scenes are spicy, but very quick!

I liked the way this ended. :)

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Fake-dating trope is perfection when both people agree. But when it turns into something more so quickly in the book, is even better. I adored these two, and Emily’s family are cute, even though at times so annoying. But overall a sweet romance.

Jackie Lau is one of my favourite authors and she did not disappoint with this one. The romance was extremely cute but more than that I related so much to the struggles of the heroine, with family expectations and meddling moms. I think that's the universal asian daughter experience and it spoke to me in so many ways. Also, I love that as a writer lead, we actually got insights into the world of publishing. Such good stuff!

Writer and barista Emily Hung is tired of hearing about Mark Chan, the son of her parents’ friends. He's an engineer who thinks he’s too good for her, but Emily's mother is fixated on getting her married to Mark. There’s only one solution: convince Mark to be in a fake relationship with her long enough to put an end to her mom’s meddling. He reluctantly agrees, but it forces them closer together. Maybe he's not so bad...

The cute chapter headings are hilarious in their own right and add to the fun and playful nature of this rom-com. Of course, Emily is tired of her matchmaking mama and hearing about her newest attempt to fix her up. She and Mark didn't exactly hit it off at her youngest sister's wedding, but her parents are friends with his parents. She decides a fake relationship will get their parents off her back, but it really doesn't. She gets to know Mark after all, and the fake dating becomes real. Emily is unsure of herself and her role in her family and feels that she can't measure up to the standard her parents would want. Mark isn't the stiff man that Emily assumed he was, and he has his own insecurities as well. Of course, the lies are revealed and their plan falls apart.

We have our happily ever after, and I loved the commentary on publishing, writing, and family expectations in the East Asian community. It felt so very real, and I was glad to see that both Emily and Mark had supportive families and genuinely good friends and family to help them through.

Love, Lies and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau is a charming tale that earns a solid four stars in my book, though it leans more towards a 3.5. Since half-stars aren't an option, I rounded up for the sheer delight of the Canadian content and the satisfying ending.

The first half of the book, narrated from Emily's perspective, delves into the depths of millennial angst with a slightly exhausting fervor. As an author herself, Emily's narrative often feels meta, inundating the reader with explanations about the publishing industry and the struggles of single life in an expensive city. While some of this adds relatability and depth to Emily's character arc, it occasionally bogs down the pacing and feels overly repetitive.

However, the book's second half picks up the pace admirably, offering genuine relationship development between Emily and Mark, the male main character. I particularly enjoyed the exploration of family dynamics, which added layers to both protagonists and their respective journeys.

While Mark's character could have been fleshed out more comprehensively, he still embodies the white knight dream boyfriend archetype. I do wish the author had included his point of view earlier in the story to provide a more balanced perspective.

The rich depiction of Toronto, my beloved city, shines in this novel. With all its quirks and charms, Lau's decision to anchor the story in Toronto delighted me to no end. It's refreshing to see Canadian authors embracing their roots rather than defaulting to American settings for broader appeal.

Overall, Love, Lies and Cherry Pie is a delightful read that I highly recommend, especially to fans of Bridget Jones, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Kim's Convenience. And if you haven't watched Kim's Convenience yet, you're missing out on a treat—Simu Liu's charm knows no bounds, and he perfectly embodies the image of Mark in my mind's eye.

🥧 Fake dating
🥧 Pride and prejudice retelling
🥧 MEDDLING mother
🥧 Author FMC
🥧 Millennial
🥧 Slow burn
🥧 Single pov for half/dual for half

First I had no idea this was a Pride and prejudice retelling and I LOVED that aspect.
I really liked our MMC as well.
However I struggled with our FMC, especially the first half when we only had her POV. I am always ok with a slow burn story line but the first half was just slow in general. We didn't know much about the MMC at all until that second half. When the fake dating kicked in things sped up a bit more. I absolutely loved the *it's not fake anymore* moment and how our MMC wouldn't allow there to be any miscommunication.

Thank you for this arc all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was so cute! Emily is the only daughter of five who is single and not married so her mom tries to set her up with a family friend’s son, Mark. When Emily’s mom is trying to set her up with Mark so one day, Emily and Mark decide to fake date to make their parents happy. However, with each fake date, they begin to see maybe they are compatible after all. Such a cute fake dating romance, definitely recommend!

What to expect:
Fake dating
Author FMC
Chinese Representation
Dual POV