Looking for a queer, foodie, fake dating romance that’s about love, family (+ family drama👀), and culture? Then this book is for you!

First of all, look at this cover!😍 It is absolutely gorgeous! Definitely one of my favorite covers of all time. This book made me soooo hungry. I NEED to try a mooncake in real life immediately! I liked the characters so much. Dylan and his whole family, including his puppy Clover, were so lovable! It did take me a minute to warm all the way up to Theo, (maybe because he didn’t have any POV chapters, so I didn’t always understand his decisions) but by the end of the novel, he was just as lovable as the other characters.

There were times throughout the story where I wanted a little more, like I wanted a little more depth. But, in the last 40% of the novel, the depth and pacing were perfect. I was expecting to give it 3 stars before that point, but I had to move it up a star!

I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants a cute romance that will definitely make your mouth water!

Thank you Random House Children’s and NetGalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.

TW: death of a parent

Such a cute, warm & fuzzy rom com! This story follows Dylan, who works at his aunts takeout restaurant with his cousins. He decides to enter a Mooncake contest to help spread the word about the restaurant and, hopefully, prevent the family from being evicted. Enter Theo, a rich boy who meets Dylan when Dylan is delivering food. They enter an arrangement, with Dylan agreeing to be Theo’s fake date to a family wedding. Things take off from there!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read that had a lot of common tropes (fake dating and a little bit of insta-love, to name a couple). I really enjoyed learning more about Chinese culture and customs, especially related to mooncakes.

I felt that a lot of the conflict was resolved too easily. Like when someone started meddling in Theo and Dylan’s relationship, they were forgiven almost instantly. It felt a little unrealistic and took away from the story. The story also focuses on grief, with both Theo and Dylan losing their mothers. I wish the author spent a little more time exploring it and showing how the characters felt, rather than telling me how they felt. Overall, a solid 3.5 star read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

I had so much fun reading this book! The characters were lovable. Dylan and Theo reminded my of my teenage self and I absolutely adore them together. The fake dating trope and Dylan's obliviousness to Theo's obvious advances feels SO high school and not forced at all.

I loved the representation, especially seeing Theo learning more about his culture after growing up without his mother. I love any book with food/cooking themes and thought this one incorporated it well. Though it did leave me very hungry.

Another aspect I loved was the family dynamics. Dylan has such a supportive family and they welcome Theo with open arms. Megan and Aunt Jade are such loving side characters and portray asian family dynamics so well. Megan is the perfect combination of cousin and sibling for Dylan. Despite Theo's rough relationship with his dad, he also has strong support from his cousins.

Thank you to Sher Lee, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

When I first read the synopsis for this book, I immediately added it to my tbr. It has fake dating, mooncakes and Chinese culture. And the romance is spot on!

Dylan wants to win the mooncake contest to help bring in more business for his aunt’s takeout and honor his mom. Theo Somers has it all. The looks, the car, the wealth and a very sweet personality. Theo keeps showing up to the takeout and finally convinces Dylan to be his fake date to a family wedding. And that’s when the drama kicks up to full speed…

I loved this book so freaking much! The characters were amazing and I adored Clover the corgi. Honestly, she kinda stole the spotlight for me. This book deals with loss of a parent and focuses a lot on the family aspect of the story with I loved. Also this book made me hungry so thank you for that!

If you’re looking for a sweet romcom to read for the summer time then I highly recommend picking this one up on May 16th!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Underlined for the e-arc!

AHHHHHHH!!! This was such a cute and charming read. Readers will love the romance between Dylan and Theo, but stay for the beautiful depictions of Asian food and culture. I loved this book so much, and I can't wait for its release.

This is a very cozy read. It’ll make you hungry. It’ll make you happy. It’ll make you long for this kind of sweet romance.

I wanted to read this book from the moment I saw the cover. It's so soft and lovely. The story is also soft and lovely. Dylan and Theo's opposites-attract romance was sweet without being too much. Dylan lives with his aunt and cousins, and he works in the family restaurant, which is barely staying afloat. Theo's super-wealthy but busy and important father has all but abandoned him with a butler and a giant home in Brooklyn with more money than he knows what to do with, but without the loving support Dylan has. When Theo needs a date for an extravagant family wedding, Dylan can't pass up the opportunity to spend a weekend with him, even if it's fake. They learn more about each other and their fake dating arrangement never seems fake. They seem drawn to each other, each providing something the other is missing and they have more in common than they expect. I enjoyed the story, and the characters are likable. Sure, they do dumb things and there are misunderstandings, as you'd expect from teenagers, but they both have heart and they strive to balance the demands of their families, honor their culture, and it doesn't take long for them to admit their relationship is anything but fake.
This book includes rom-com elements alongside the heavier topics of grief and family dynamics. Both boys have people in their lives who care deeply for them, who support them, who root for them and you will too.

I am a big fan of romance, and I have been gobbling up any book that references Chinese culture (pun fully intended). Fake Dates and Mooncakes was a sweet and fun romance with just enough angst and family drama mixed in.

I really loved Dylan’s family and how close they all were. It was so lovely to see how his aunt basically adopted him after his mom’s death. I loved Dylan and his cousin Megan’s brother/sister dynamic. And of course, I could never forget my best girl, Clover 🐶

Theo was a fun love interest. I liked how he pulled Dylan into his world with so much seeming nonchalance, while simultaneously quite obviously (to everyone but Dylan) pining for him. His relationship with his family was a sad foil to Dylan’s family dynamic. It was sweet to watch Dylan pull Theo into his world in return.

I really did enjoy all of the Chinese history and traditions that were sprinkled throughout the story. It made my adoptive China mom heart sing. It was nice to learn more about my daughter’s birth culture.

Overall, I actually found the romance to be a little lacking. I wanted more. I wanted to feel more for these two, but it just fell a bit flat for me. I enjoyed the story, but it didn’t floor me.

My Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

I gave Fake Dates and Mooncakes 3.5 Stars!

OMG! This book was so cute. Not only did it have the fake dating troupe it also had a beautiful family story as well. As a foodie, I also loved all of the times when the author wrote about food. Cannot recommend this book more.

I had to dnf it around chapter 2 when I came across one too many "teaching moments". It feels like the target audience are white readers because the author kept explaining Chinese culture to me. You don't have to explain that you call non relatives auntie/uncle, almost all BIPOC do that which makes me wonder, why are you explain it? (for the white readers?) Show me the character making xiao long bao, otherwise leave it as is and we'll do the work googling it. And once the author had to explain what Hungry Ghost Month is, I realized this book wasn't for me. Sorry.

When both of his aunt's delivery drivers are out, Dylan takes a break from the kitchen at her takeout restaurant and makes a delivery run--one that ends with disaster, when the final customer chews him out for his lateness and for the incorrect preparation of his food.
But the next day, the customer's friend shows up at the takeaway to apologize. Theo is gorgeous, and incredibly rich, and, seems interested in Dylan. And when he helps out the takeaway, Dylan wants to return the favor--which Theo lets him do, in the form of being his plus-one to a family wedding.
And when Dylan isn't pretending to not have feelings for Theo--or pretending to pretend to have feelings for him--he's working with his aunt on recreating his grandmother's mooncake recipe--although Theo becomes a part of that as well, supporting Dylan as he enters the contest he was supposed to do with his late mother.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is sweet, and adorable, but also gets into the complexities of family dynamics, friend dynamics, and how hard it can be to be with someone from a completely different world than you.

Tw for alcoholism that comes up with a side character, and parental death backstory.

Thank you Random House Children’s and NetGalley for the ARC!

Maybe reading this book in the middle of the night when I crave for something to fill my tummy was not a good option (yet I continued). The description for the food is really tempting, to the point that I think smell it wafting across the room.

And the story is as delicious as the food! We love some fake dating scene, and not to mention how cute and adorable all those moments they shared, my heart more often than not screamed in glee for most parts. It's poignant, obviously the book that will make you feel warm all over.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a novel that I had been highly anticipating since I first heard about it and it did NOT disappoint!

I was absolutely hooked from the start. It was so so cute, funny, wholesome, and also handled emotional topics (such as grief) in a beautiful way. It was rich in culture and imagery and totally captivating.

Although the main conflicts of the story had pretty quick resolutions, I would say overall it was amazing and such a cute, fun read. Also, the ending was beautiful and I loved it so much.

A big thank you to Sher Lee and Underlined / Random House Children’s and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Can’t wait for my physical copy to come in 💕

I really loved this book. The characters coming from different backgrounds and going through the process of understanding each other, the added history and traditions of Chinese and Singaporean cultures. I loved the story around the moon cakes and the importance to both characters.

Full Review:
https://theweatherwriter.wixsite.com/blog/post/book-review-fake-dates-and-mooncakes-by-sher-lee

Warning: don’t go into this read on an empty stomach because you will find yourself searching for xiao long bao, only to learn that the closest restaurant to you that makes them is almost 200 miles away. Seriously though, get yourself a snack because the Chinese and Singaporean foods featured in this book are mouthwatering.

Now, I loved this read. We get fake dating, rescue pups, mooncakes, and two families that really just couldn’t be more different. Dylan Tang comes from a middle class background, spending his evenings working with his aunt and cousins in their takeout restaurant Wok Warriors (love the name). They’re very close knit and Dylan wants to give his aunt the world since she has taken care of him since his mother passed away. Theo Somers on the other hand? His father is about as distant as it gets, his best friend is a real piece of work, and the DRAMA that just encompasses the whole family is super entertaining (there’s a wedding that takes place in the book where a sister marries her sister’s ex.. the drama).

Between the drama, sweeping romantic gestures, and the heartfelt, tender moments this book was exactly what I needed.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

I will prioritize any book with fake dating right there in the title, but I honestly didn't expect this one to be as cute and immersive as it was. Even though Theo could materially want for nothing, the difference between his cold relationship with his father and the close knit family Dylan has makes you understand why Theo is attracted to Dylan and wants to be in his orbit.

The love of food in this book inspired me to try the cuisine because I couldn't read the description of xiao long bao without trying one. I haven't tried mooncakes, but based on the author's description, they sound delightful. And the way the mooncakes brought the whole family together, including the last-minute gift from Theo, really made this a full circle story.

The book starts with a little kerfuffle for Dylan concerning a food delivery gone wrong, with a customer, Adrian, who had an over-the-top reaction about the inclusion of spring onions in his food. He threatens to sue, on the premise that he could be fatally allergic, which I don’t think Wok Warriors could be liable for, considering no mention that the “allergy” was specified. Adrian also dares to call the chef “blind or illiterate” and that was just plain rude. His outburst was really despicable behavior and it really had me questioning Theo’s character by proxy, because why would you want to be friends with or hook up with someone like that? Adrian was just one of a handful of irrelevant characters that were unnecessarily rude. Regardless, this is the first interaction between Dylan and Theo.

Theo later visits Wok Warriors to apologize on behalf of Adrian. I, personally, would not have accepted an apology from him since it’s not his apology to give, but Adrian’s. I would absolutely accept Theo’s money though lol. This interaction also highlights how disconnected Theo is from his mother’s culture, as he lets Dylan know that his mom passed away when he was young. As a mixed-Asian person with his only living parent being his white father, he is detached from his culture and Dylan helps Theo learn more, but a lot of this is done by telling and not showing.

Theo asks Dylan to be his fake date to a wedding in the Hamptons, and Dylan accepts, <spoiler>only to find out that Theo never received an invitation and that they were wedding crashers, albeit welcomed at the function </spoiler>. Honestly, the interaction with Herbert in chapter 10 made by blood boil. The microaggressions Herbert spewed made Asian people seem so monolithic. His Sinophobia was also showing when he was talking negatively about the use of MSG in Chinese cuisine. Thankfully, Theo corrected Herbert, which was one of quite a few instances that Theo saves the day.

I loved Dylan and his family dynamic. I also really enjoyed the cultural aspects of the book, such as cuisine and rituals, but I’d like to reiterate that it was more telling than showing. There was a lot that should have been a bit more developed, such the complicated relationship Theo has with his dad. I do think there are a few too many references, such as the MANY references to BlackPink, Fresh off the Boat, Crazy Rich Asians, luxury brands, and so on. Overall, I thought this book was pretty cute and wholesome. You should pick it up if you enjoy queer romance, Crazy Rich Asians, and food.

Thank you for to the Sher Lee, Random House Children’s, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange of an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Fake Dates and Mooncakes.

I got to say don’t read this book on an empty stomach because you will be salivating nonstop. The food descriptions are incredible and the love and care the author put into the atmosphere of the kitchen was lovely. It’s just one facet of the lovely world and character building done by the author. The culture and family felt so real and alive, reading this felt like being welcomed into someone’s home.

Overall a lovely, enjoyable read with good representation and an engaging storyline. Sometimes I felt like the plot remained too surface level and felt like a series of events more than hitting the emotional points we skirted past. Due to this I never felt truly engaged with the actual plot of the book.

One note - from the description I didn’t realize just how YA this book would be and it did read quite young with rather simple writing. From the cover art and description I hadn’t realized, which is entirely my mistake so I can’t blame the book for it.

All in all, a cute read with a cover to die for. If you love YA romance, don’t miss this!

3 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“ When everything seems to be going wrong, the best thing to do is to stay calm and make mooncakes”

Fake dates and Mooncakes is exactly what you need if you want a light and fluffy queer romance. The romance is sweet and felt like a warm hug.

Dylan was a great MC that had a great family structure and truly developed character where you understood where his decision came from.

Theo was a charismatic MC with a crazy rich family. ( which is where the comparison to Crazy Rich Asian came from)

Learning the cultural aspects of mooncakes and other cuisines which made me feel like I was always learning something new of the culture and felt like I was apart of the family with how Dylan and his family interacted.

My only complaint would be I wanted it to be more fleshed out. I love a good cooking competition and I which I had more of it. And I felt like we could’ve taken out the butler plot twist and added more filler chapters to add more little moments between Dylan and Theo.

I also wish there was more talk about grief either with the families of Dylan or Theo or between the two of them with having to lose both of their mothers. I just felt like I was told and not shown their grief with their loss.

I feel as though my complaints were minor to the story and really didn’t take away from my enjoyment! This is an amazing debut novel from this author and I hope many young adults read this upon release and enjoy it as much as I did.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC!

**Thank you for the ARC. All opinions are completely my own.**

3-3.5 stars. A truly average read. Nothing special.

This book was A-OK...that's about it. At least it was a short and easy read.

However, all of the characters were incredibly underdeveloped. The main character was boring and flat - not to mention, he acted like an insufferable walking encyclopedia by spouting random unsolicited facts that totally killed the vibe. The romantic interest is pretty mid and follows the rich neglected son trope.

On the bright side, at least the plot was straightforward and easy to follow.

TLDR; Very much meh. Recommended to those who enjoy predictable romances.