Mark Chan it's all she hears about.

Writer and barista Emily Hung is so tired of hearing about the great Mark Chan, it's the son of her parents friend. You would think he won the noble peace prize or something but alas no. In reality though, he's kind of boring and wear sweater vests all the time. However now Emily is the only single daughter in her family, and her mother is obsessed with getting her married. Now she needs to convince Mark to be in a fake relationship with her so her mom can get off her back.

Even fake dating isn't enough though because family friends keep popping up everywhere on their "dates." So they have to spend more time together to make the relationship believable. With each date however she realizes that Mark isn't so bad after all.

Rounding this book up to a 3.5.

Thank you Simon and Schuster for an ARC copy of this book, I do really appreciate it. I did enjoy this book and read this while I was on vacation and it was a great vacation read. Honestly Mark was kind of a dull character, he was nothing extravagant and kind of boring. I did like the writing at the end of the book it felt heartfelt and so cute. I also really like the cover of this book it' so cute, I love the cat and the Cherry Pies on the front of the cover. Another thing about this cover is that I assumed that someone in this book would be a baker and make some pies, but no I think all they did was eat Cherry pie, so that park was kind of disappointing I wanted a Cherry Pie recipe in this book. I wish someone in this book was I also love books that are set in Canada, so I enjoyed that about this book. I do also love the dual POVS in this book, they are honestly my favourite, especially when there is a guy's POV. I am also glad that I listened to this on audiobook because I might have DNF this if I just read it physically. Honestly during this book her mom kind of annoyed me until we got to the end then when she explained she got a little better and was a decent character. Emily's sister also pissed me off too, like no she can't watch your children when it's works for you and not for her. I think I would pick up another book by this author again. I think other people would enjoy this book if it was recommended to the right people.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Emily is tired of her mom trying to set her up with every eligible bachelor. Just because she's in her 30's and single doesn't mean she needs to get married immediately! Her sister doesn't seem to respect her jobs or writing, and her mom has never thought writing was good for her. When she meets Mark in a set up, they decide to fake date to get their parents off their back. The feelings begin to turn real but Emily worries what her family will think about their fake beginnings.

This is more then a romance. There are family secrets, love, and unspoken support throughout. Recommended!

I was given this Advanced Reader E-Copy by @simonschusterca and @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“This is a charming rom-com about a young woman’s desperate attempts to fend off her meddling mother…only to find that maybe mother does know best”

This was a really cute slow burn romance set in the heart of Toronto. Love, Lies & Cherry Pie had lovable characters, some spice, family drama, fake dating and a bunch of really yummy food references. It was refreshing to read a book about a 30ish young woman who dislikes going out late, pulls a muscle while reaching for her purse and gets easily distracted by animal videos on social media.

This was my first by Lau, I’m quite excited to check out more by this her. I really enjoyed her writing style and loved the dual POVs in the second half of the book.
Overall, this was a great read!
Check out this new release coming MAY 7th!
Thank you, @simonschusterca and @netgalley

Fake dating and a meddling mom? Yes, please! I love when the main characters have preconceived notions about each other… and we get to see them all proved wrong! The slow progression of feelings through fake dating, is always fun to read too. This light & relatable read will brighten up your summer.

This one was going to be two stars up until about 30% in.

It starts off at a wedding, Emily’s sister is getting married and her mother invited someone to set her up with. And instead of sitting with her family at the wedding she is with Mark. What is that? It really made me wonder if I am so blessed that my family didn’t feel the right to control my life in such a way. I mean, is that a thing - would your mother make plans with you and have a blind date show up in her place? This was all very cringe for me. Three chapters in and all I could think was the mother needed to understand boundaries. And her sister Alison! I would stop talking to my sister if she treated me that way.

Emily assumes too much about other people. Her inner monologue is so judgement and requires her to lash out because of her open perceptions.

Once you make it to the chapters from Marks point of view it does get better; this is where the third star came in for me. I liked Marks point of view so much more but I found the writing a little choppy and lacked any emotion. He didn’t feel like a full character at times; just there to support Emily and her dreams.

On a more positive note, the final few chapters were lovely and heartwarming. The family finally got a chance to talk things out and find out what their intentions truly were. I loved the Canadian location, while I am on the west coast and it is set on the east, it was still nice to see references to cities I know and aspects of Canadian culture that are rarely brought out in books. While the book wasn’t for me, it did end in more of a satisfying way.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a cute little read. I love fake dating so this was very much up my alley. It did take me a while to get into it, but I it to be an easy read. I related to Emily a lot, seeing Asian representation in books is always nice to see. I did find her a little annoying and repetitive.

Would still recommend, especially if your looking for something quick to read.

First of all I'd like to say thank you so much to Jackie Lau & Simon and Scheuster for the E-ARC of this book.

I truly enjoyed how this book was set in Toronto, being born and raised there it always sets some comfort and familiarity in my heart when books are set there. I found the reliability factor with Emily's feelings (especially with her mom) very important. I, too, have often felt like my parents expected such big things from me and I often let them down, but like Mark kept telling Emily, they are proud of her.

Speaking of Mark I love how much he cared for and ended up supporting Emily's by the end of the book, isn't that the kind of partner we all want? Also "Project Pen" had me laughing, thats such a sweet way to do something for your child as a mom.

This book had me smiling and laughing, all in all a wonderful read.

This book was really cute. I quite like the fake dating trope! One of the things that I really liked about this was that it was based in Toronto. This was probably the first book I've read in a while that was based here. I could definitely relate to a lot of what the main character had to go through on a daily basis. Especially when she talked about the wonderful TTC 🤣. This book also detailed the struggle people face with the living situation in Toronto as well as trying to live up to parental expectations. I liked how this was a light-hearted romance book, but also talked about important issues.
One thing I didn't like was how whiny the main character was at times. While I could relate to the difficulties of the housing market, I felt like it was too much. She was constantly mentioning how hard it was, and it got a little annoying. I also couldn't understand what the issue was with continuing her relationship with Mark because they were faking at first. It seemed like the author was trying hard for that third act break up, but it was unnecessary.
Overall, I really liked this book and would definitely recommend it!

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley to read and review.

I enjoyed this romance. Fake dating is one of my favourite tropes, and I liked how the characters went from fake dating to real dates. I also liked that in the second half we got to see into Mark’s head a little bit.
I had some issues with Emily’s character. I’m glad she finally talked to her mom and her sister, and I was pleased to see her character growth. Throughout the book she constantly runs away from her feelings and doesn’t try to talk to anyone. She assumes the worst and judges right away, and then doesn’t want to hear that she might be wrong. She drove me a little crazy! Thankfully she really did have good character growth, and when she gave Mark a chance I thought the characters balanced each other out really well.
I liked Ms. Margaret Muffins and I liked Emily’s nieces. The side characters were fun, and the story had lots of humour and heart.

Sometimes you just need a good rom-com to get you out of a reading slump and Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau did just that. Set in Toronto, this fake-dating romance follows writer-slash-barista Emily Hung, last unmarried Hung sister, as she navigates forging her own path to spite disappointing her mother. Her mother seems insistent on finding her a husband and enter Mark Chan, her number one contender. After a less-than-perfect first impression at Emily’s sister’s wedding, Emily’s mother tricks them into a blind date and that’s where our story begins. Agreeing to “fake date” they convince all of those around them, except for a few friends in on the ruse, that they are in fact a couple. How long can they keep it up? What will happen when the truth comes out? I really liked how Emily followed her passion for writing even though the family didn’t really accept her profession as serious. I found Mark’s character to have some substance which helped tie the story together. Emily spends a lot of time concerned about being able to own a home which is a reality these days, but it did detract from her otherwise independent character that I enjoyed. As a reader who lives in Northern Ontario, I didn’t love the depiction of my corner of the province as stereotyped. Outside of that, I enjoyed this book and found myself enjoying the story and the characters and particularly enjoyed the depth of Emily’s Mother’s backstory in looking for a husband for Emily which surprised me and enjoyed the thoughtful ways that family dynamics were handled.Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie was a cute, lighthearted romance. I should start seeking out more books set in Toronto because one of my favourite things about this was reading all the little references to presto cards, Bloor Street, and Tim Hortons.

I really liked that this book had a secondary storyline about the relationship between Emily, the main character and her family. It wasn’t your classic romance that just focuses on two people. Although the relationship between Emily and her mother, and Emily and her older sister could get repetitive at times the book has a sweet ending that makes it worth it.

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for this ARC.

The idea behind the romance and plot was cute, but I had a lot of difficulty nevertheless getting through the book. I think the writing style just wasn’t for me

This book was super cute!! It did take me a minute to get into it and I admittedly loved the second half more than the first. While I do understand why we only got one pov in the first half, I loved getting the dual pov in the second!! Getting to see things from Mark's perspective was so great as he seemed like this really aloof person and kind of stand offish. I adored the family aspect and Emily trying to figure out her place in her family. I did struggle with how they treated her but I loved how it all resolved. While her mom started off as being slightly annoying I ended up loving her in the end...she cared so much for her girls!!

Desperate to fend off her meddling mother, Emily, the last single daughter in her family, fake dates Mark Chan but maybe lying about their relationship isn’t enough.

I’m a sucker for fake dating and a messy mid 20-30s mcs and this did not disappoint! Emily’s life isn’t the most conventional (published author, part-time barista, lives with a roommate) and seeing her attempts at dodging her mom were so fun 😂 The first half is more slow burn as Emily’s struggles with Toronto transit, being in publishing, and sweater-vest wearing Mark Chan but I loved seeing her slowly open up to him. The second half was spicy but cute, especially the Mark teasing. Example -- Mark looks like a guy who’d name his cat Margaret and his cat’s actual name is Ms. Margaret Muffins lmao. The family dynamics got messy but “twist” at the end had me tearing up 🤧 Overall, this was light-hearted, entertaining read!

Thanks NetGalley and Read Forever Pub for my arc!

3/5 ⭐️

I loved how this book touched topics that make Chinese Canadians like myself feel represented, but the main issue I found was how… immature some of their actions are.
Firstly there’s the main character, Emily, who just fears communication as a whole. It got a little frustrating at times. But nothing compares to her sister, who just let out all of her anger on others. Although they tried to give an explanation, I felt that it was not enough to justify everything as it just painted her character as even more immature.
The actual plot and romance part of the book is really cute, I’ll say. Who isn’t a sucker for a fake dating trope? Also the talks about how it’s impossible to live up to your parents expectations because they never communicate their proudness… is so real.

Big thank you to Simon & Schuster for an eARC of this novel! A huge opportunity and I am honoured to have been given this!

Love this author, she’s so great at exploring all the relationships, that surround a budding romance and how everyone in a friend group is affected by the change it can bring!!

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I think that there were so much potential to this book, and it just wasn't quite where I wanted it to be. I mean, fake dating to avoid meddling parents? That sounded right up my alley. It just was missing something to really love it.
Frist, I really struggled with the first half of the book. And I think a big part of that was that I was really annoyed with how Emily came across. I feel like she was just complaining the entire time, and it really made it hard for me to really get into the story. In a way, because she spent so much time on the negative, it made things feel really slow, and a little painful by moment. And while I get where it came from, I feel like I was looking for a book to escape and have a fun ride, and all that negativity bummed me out.
The relationship between Mark and Emily was okay. I wasn't fully feeling their chemistry. It was just missing that spark that makes you swoon in a rom-com. I think I would have liked to get Mark's point of view earlier, to get more a feel about him, and see him falling for her more. Maybe that would have help...
Still it was okay. The second half felt stronger, but it just wasn't quite what I was hoping for. I'm still curious to try some of her other books, but we'll see.

this was not for me.

Emily Hung has a problem; her mother is continuously trying to set up her and Mark Chan, and so Emily designed a plan to fake date Mark to get her mother off her back.

i truly had to push myself to finish it, and nearing the end, i was mostly skimming the words. the main issue i had with this book was the writing and characterization. i truly could not stand Emily (Mark was fine, but by the time his pov was introduced, i was already so uninterested in the entire plot), and a significant reason why i could not stand her was the writing of her character. i did not feel like she was a thirty-three-year-old character; i often found her narration immature, childish, and just plain goofy. a pet peeve of mine for books is the excessive use of exclamation points, and this book definitely had that, especially in the context of Emily's dialogue and inner thoughts. Emily's character was unlikable, rude, and self-righteous.

thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this e-arc!!
[1.5 stars]

this was such a cute, easy, fun romance book that had all the makings of a great rom-com! family meddling in personal lives, over-bearing parents, feeling like the ‘odd one out’, and trying to pursue a passion career while also affording the bills. Emily had to navigate it all as a 33-year old woman trying to find some sort of stability in her life, personal or not.

I really liked the family shenanigans that were happening in this book. Emily’s mother was the star of the show in her “match-making” abilities and really tried to set Emily up with Mark as best she can. I found her over-bearing tendencies somewhat charming and very funny. I LOVED mark! sweater vest wearing, cat dad extraordinaire seemed like he had it all, and he did! the whole fake-dating trope at the beginning was so fun, one of my favourite book tropes🤭

I really wanted to love this book but it just fell flat for me. I found Emily to be super immature for a character in her early 30s and some of her actions didn’t make sense to me. The romance didn’t feel like it was fully there, I didn’t sense a whole lot of chemistry between the characters.

Overall a good read, especially if you’re looking for an easy, cute and fun read with fake-dating and lots of family drama!

thank you NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Jackie Lau for an eARC in exchange for my honest review 🩷

It's a cute read for a contemporary romance; I did enjoy most of the book!

For the first part of the book, I liked the characters, and I enjoyed how they interacted with each other. However, it seems that once the characters got together physically the book went downhill. It felt like reading about how felt wanted to screw versus an actual story. The characters felt flat during the second part of the book.

I personally would have preferred this novel to have been a closed-door romance - I believe I would have rated it higher if it was.

I really was looking forward to this book and overall I feel like I over-hyped it for myself and it didn't meet my expectations.