I thought this was a very cute and fun gay YA romance! Dylan and Theo are very sweet characters that are easy to root for.

I'm very hit or miss with YA and with romance, but something about this one made me very interested. This book does go through the motions of the usual romance tropes, but they didn't bother me the way use of those tropes usually do. There were some moments where I had to suspend my disbelief, but this book is fiction and maybe some of it can be written off as that's just how rich people are.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

I just love a queer novel no matter what. So cute! I also love that it was not just another white gay novel!

This was a delight. It was the perfect book for me when I needed something fresh, light, and airy. It's filled to the brim with tropes from the romcom genera, and that might be a negative to some people, but to me it just made me feel comfortable and at home. The ending felt like it fell right out of the script for a late 90s teen romcom, and I loved it. You could tell what was coming from a mile away, but not every book needs to surprise you and have you reeling on your feet.

Sometime you just need some comfort food.

On the topic of food, this book made me hungry every single time I picked it up. The descriptions of the food were mouthwatering, and I want to eat it all.

Overall, this was a wonderful little book that didn't reinvent the wheel, but it doesn't need to. It's filled with lovable characters, and a rich appreciation for the culture of them all and it was a delightful read.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes filled me with sparkle, joy and hope. This is a pure ray of sunshine that I hope everyone picks up.

This book reminded me of the joy you can get from YA romances. It was just so full of heart, love and brilliant characters. The dynamic and dialogue between Dylan and Theo was sizzling and from their very first (slightly disastrous) meet-cute, I knew I would be rooting for them until the end. Lee does not let their romance just plainly sail though, with plenty of trials and tribulations along the way. Dylan as a character has my entire heart. He was so driven and determined to save his family’s livelihood, while also wanting to pay homage to his mum. That grief has deeply marked him and the raw vulnerability hit home so hard for me.

Of course, I adored all of the food as well. These are such lush and evocative descriptions that had me salivating over my pages. I loved how creative the recipes were and also how tied into familial and cultural understandings of life. Food often connects us to a specific moment in time and allows us to re-experience happy memories. It also is a joyous celebration of culture and Lee leans into this heavily, with it as a key way for Dylan to remember his mum and Theo connect with a culture he was scared of losing.

At its core, this is a pure tonic of hope and happiness against the odds. It just brings so much joy and sunshine into your life and I highly commend that.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes epitomises the brilliance of YA contemporary romance. It weaves sensitive themes, normalised representation, so much food and the type of love that makes you all gooey inside.

Do I even need to say I loved this book? I mean come on this book is on everyone's TBR for a reason! This is adorable and I just couldn't put this book down cause it brought me so much joy! Please do yourself a favor and read this!

This was a light, fun romantic comedy featuring a cute couple and an even cuter corgi. Theo and Dylan's story was fun to read & I rooted for them through everything.

I deduced a star from my reading because of how heavily the author uses tropes to further the plot. Until nearly 70% the only way the plot moved forward was by use of a rom-com trope. I may be in the minority, but I feel tropes should be used sparingly to make the story sweeter not as the sole plot developer. I would have liked to see Theo and Dylan grow as a couple naturally vs constantly overcoming this and that trope.

***Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's in exchange for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review. ***

Not just another repetition of the “fake dating” trope, Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee blew me away!!! There is such a lack of LGBT contemporary romances, and this perfectly fills that gap. Dylan is the type of character that makes you want to cry and laugh and hug him and punch him all at the same time. Theo is his opposite, someone who never would have expected to enter into a fake-dating scheme with someone like Dylan.

Definitely give this book a read, it’s the perfect addition to any summer reading list!!

I received this book as a bookseller from NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been following this book for awhile because I am obsessed with the cover. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed by this one, For me, the fake dating trope only works of the couple doesn’t have feelings for each other yet (which in this case, they clearly do) and if the novel is dual POV (I would have loved to get Theo’s thoughts and feelings because he felt very flat to me otherwise). I loved learning about Chinese food culture and I wish that would have been a bigger part of this book.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is so stinkin cute!! I absolutely loved all of the characters - Theo being my favorite because he’s so sweet, but even Dylan’s family seemed wonderful! I don’t read a whole lot of YA books anymore, but I am so glad I took a chance on this one. I really think anybody could enjoy reading this book.

I would recommend to anyone!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC.

This is a cute YA novel about Dylan, a teenager who is focused on helping his family's restaurant from going under, and Theo, a phenomenally rich and privileged young man who's struggling to find where exactly he belongs. Theo and Dylan have a meet ugly, which then progresses to a number of meet-cutes until eventually turning into a fake dating situation that ends up with real feelings.

There are definitely Crazy Rich Asian vibes to this book. Overall the first person narration felt engaging and immediate, the descriptions of food were splendid, the relationship cute and mostly believable, and the pace decent.

I enjoyed learning about the Chinese and Singaporean cultures/food/traditions. The tight family bonds on Dylan's side were also a plus.

I did have a few quibbles:
it was a pretty insta-like/quick burn as far as the interest in each other, which seemed a bit too fast. Felt a little forced at times, their chemistry not quite what I was expecting. .
the boys share a deep loss and grief over their moms and I think I would have liked more of that explored for both of them, but mostly Theo. He lost his mom and his attachment to his culture.
The family dynamics seemed a bit over the top and it was a bit hard to suspend my belief.
The antagonist characters were very two dimensional and not well fleshed out--mean for the sake of being mean, which made them less interesting.
I know Theo is uber-rich and can basically buy/get/travel to whatever and wherever he wants but it still stretched the limits of my imagination a bit with some of his actions.

Overall an enjoyable book but it stretched the limits of believability in some instances, which took me out of the story. Dylan and Theo are likeable characters overall. Pleasant read, not one I'd go back to.

3.5 stars

Unfortunately, this book just really wasn’t it for me. As a Chinese person myself, I felt like Chinese culture was being spoonfed to me as if I was living under a rock and had no idea what anything meant. I’m also getting a little tired of romances between rich people who are unaware of their privilege and poor people that they’re trying to help. I really wanted to like this book—there are just so, so few queer contemporary YA books about Chinese characters. But unfortunately, I really couldn’t get into this one.

An incredibly sweet YA romance thats low stakes but still packs an emotional punch.

Aspiring teenage chef Dylan Tang enters the Mid-Autumn Festival’s mooncake making contest in an effort to honor his mother’s memory and win money he hopes to use to save his Aunt’s struggling restaurant.

While dropping off takeout to a customer, Dylan has a chance encounter with handsome Theo Somers, who is not at all what Dylan expects from someone who seems like just another spoiled rich kid.

Charming and full of good intentions, Theo is able to convince Dylan to agree to be his fake date to a cousin’s wedding in the Hamptons.

Theo’s world, full of drama coated in glitter and gold, is not at all what Dylan is use to and despite the real feelings he may be developing for Theo, Dylan just doesn’t have time for rich people problems.

But Theo and Dylan’s feelings for him both prove to be very persistent in spite of the many obstacles they encounter along the way.

While I wish some of the themes in this book had been explored a bit more, the story still does a great job of showcasing varied family dynamics and the desire children born of immigrant parents often feel to connect with their parents’ cultural heritage. I really enjoyed it and if you’re in the mood for a quick, sweet romance then definitely check it out when it’s released May 15th!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for this advanced reader copy of Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee to be reviewed.

Please Note: I will post my review on my blog/instagram on the publication date, but it is currently posted on my Goodreads.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Fake Dates and Mooncakes" by Sher Lee
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
✈️ to: New York City
Pub Date: 5/16

"If two people have the destiny to meet, not even a thousand miles can keep them apart."

"Fake Dates and Mooncakes" is a charming YA story about two teenagers -- Dylan and Theo -- who are from very different worlds that unexpectedly intersect. Parts of this book read like Crazy Rich Asians, junior edition, but overall with way less drama and actually only one crazy rich Asian (the rest are your usual crazy rich white people).

My favorite aspect of FDaM was how it talked about the grief of losing a parent and how you honor those who've past and value those still with you. I also learned quite a bit about Chinese traditions and food culture. If I went to Sunset Park in Brooklyn, I feel like the Wok Warriors restaurant would be there.

There's a lot to value in this book, but ultimately I'm only rating it 3.5 stars because, well, I got bored. The plot primarily revolves around Dylan being Theo's fake date to a wedding that wasn't very interesting and then a mooncake baking competition that comes at the very end of the story.

I got this book as a ARC from Netgalley and I was super excited to read it because it looked adorable.

Dylan works with his aunt at her Chinese takeout restaurant named Wok Warriors in Brooklyn. When his mother passed last year Dylan’s aunt took him in. Before his mom died, she and Dylan talked about entering a local mooncake making contest together. Wok Warriors is struggling financially and Dylan knows that the prize money that could come with winning that competition would both help the takeout stay afloat and be a great way to honor the memory of his mom.

Then Dylan meets Theo Sommers, a gorgeous guy his age born into massive wealth. After a mixup with some takeout Theo convinces Dylan to be his fake date to a fancy party in the Hamptons and Dylan nervously agrees to go with him. Dylan has to keep reminding himself that none of this is real, but the way Theo acts the date feels very real sometimes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, had some actual FEELS moments while reading it and seeing Dylan and Theo working together to overcome obstacles in their way. Some of it does feel a LITTLE far fetched, but honestly, it’s a sweet little romance story and I’m willing to just go with it as long as it doesn’t go too far crazy. And this one doesn’t. I think they did a good job balancing the rich kid wants to buy the poor kid everything and the poor kid says OMG NO, I pay my own way.

When Theo showed up at the competition with the exact right sugar AND the flowers from Dylan's grandmother's garden, I CRIED happy tears. I didn't care one bit that it was so over the top. I love that kind of big romantic gesture (IN FICTION, in reality I would probably be a bit o.O).

My only real critique was that the conflict between Theo and his dad seemed like it worked out WAY too quickly and kind of came out of nowhere, I wish that had been a little more developed.

This story had funny dialog and I liked seeing Dylan and Theo growing together. I learned some neat things about Chinese/Singaporean traditions and that was awesome too. 4 stars of 5.

Thank you netgalley and Random House Childrens for providing a free early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so cute. I loved Dylan and Theo, their chemistry was so cute. Theo discovering more about his culture and being inspired to be with his family more was really nice to see. I loved the side characters as much or more than the main characters and this book gave you such a nice warm dealing while feeling with difficulties.

So cute but wish there was more Clover.

4.5 rounded down to 4

This book is super cute!! It’s a fun ya romcom involving fake dating and tons of food

CHARACTERS: 10/10
ROMANCE: 10/10
PLOT: 9.5/10

Any story with fake dating (if it’s done well) is going to be a favorite, and this was done perfectly! The reasoning made sense, and Dylan and Theo are great together.

The wedding was very fun to read about, and I’m glad a bunch of time was spent there. However, my only issue with the book is that I expected more of it to take place in the restaurant or at the mooncake competition. I didn’t expect the wedding to be that long, and since the book has the word “mooncake” in it, I thought that it would be bigger and take up more than the few chapters it actually had.

Overall, it was a great book, and I really recommend reading this!!!

Fake Dates and Mooncakes was such a cute and lighthearted fake dating romance! Dylan and Theo are so freaking adorable, and their story gave me all the warm fuzzies!

4.5 stars

All Dylan wants is to win the Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake competition for young chefs, in honor of his mom. And to help his Aunt to keep her restuarant. A win could be a big deal for them. Enter: Theo Somers. They first meet at a delivery gone wrong, but Dylan and Theo keep meeting.

Theo convinces Dylan to be his fake date to his cousin’s wedding, to help get back at his family. But even though their relationship is supposed to be fake, Dylan finds himself falling for Theo anyway and being pulled into his family drama. But Dylan can’t afford to be distracted from his competition. So, he has to decide if his feelings for Theo are worth it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Underlined for an advanced copy of Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee to review! Being pitched as Crazy Rich Asians meets Heartstopper, I knew I had to read it. I will say, didn’t quite see the Heartstopper connection, but definitely the connection to Crazy Rich Asians. If you love rom-coms with fake dating, centered around baking/cooking, this is definitely the book for you!

This book has a lot of the classic rom-com tropes, and honestly, I loved it. Dylan and Theo are adorable together; from the first moment they meet, you can tell they have chemistry. Fake dating? You know that someone is going to develop feelings. If not both. They had an easy kind of relationship. Plus, food! We get to see a lot of Chinese culture through Dylan, especially with food, and it just makes the book even better in my opinion.

Outside of Dylan and Theo, there are some fantastic secondary characters as well. Especially Dylan’s family. They are so supportive of Theo and his dreams, and we love to see it. We also get to see the contrast in Theo and Dylan’s relationships with their families, even with somewhat similar backgrounds. Honestly, it’s part of the reason they feel so connected.

There’s cuteness, there’s the fluffiness you expect from a rom-com, and it will make a great spring read when it comes out in May!

I’m not even playing when I say I was close to giving this one 5 stars. My heart was so full and happy when I got to the end of this book that I didn’t know how to behave. I pressed my kindle to my chest and let out the loudest AWWWW ever.

The most noteworthy part of this book was definitely the culture. WOW! I actually can say I learned quite a bit from it. As you’re reading, you’re actively learning about Chinese festivals, and mythology, and sayings, and food. I now know, and will forever remember, how Chinese soup dumplings (xiao long bao) are made. And the food descriptions? I was constantly hungry because everything sounded so delicious, especially the mooncakes.

Really, I only have positive things to say about this book. Characters? Cutie pies. Plot? Fun times. Climax/conflict? I can believe it. Ending? So sweet I got a cavity. This is the perfect read for when you’re looking for a palette cleanser between smutty/serious books, or just want a feel-good-high-school romance.

Worth mentioning: Theo and Dylan are my boys because they both listen to epic instrumentals (Two Steps from Hell) and the How to Train your Dragon score.

I thought this book was fantastic for a young adult audience. I love Sher Lee's portrayal of cultural traditions.