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dizzymissruby's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
picked this up as yet another queer asian book and i love mooncakes. had no idea that the author and the main character are singaporean, like me. i would describe this book a mix of red, white & royal blue (sneaking around after hours in a famous museum?) and crazy rich asians (middle class & upper class, attending a wedding together, a mean “ex” who manipulatively tries to break them up, uptight parent intimidating the partner into breaking up, dramatic surprise reunion), except the characters are more racially diverse than CRA, representative of the actual ethnic makeup in singapore
it was so cool seeing my home foods - nasi goreng, calamansi, pomelo, gula melaka - being talked about, famous spots - marina bay sands, changi airport (taken that direct 18hr singapore airlines flight to and from nyc one too many times), jewel, hawker centers in general - being name dropped and even a mention of our famous architect moshe safdie. loved the small bit of singlish dropped in too (lah!). it was also another personal touch for me that this was set in new york, where all of my mom’s side of the family lives, but specifically brooklyn where all of my chinese relatives live too, one even in sunset park. like dylan, i lost my mom to cancer as well not too long ago and my family in new york has taken me in so warmly and made me feel like one of their own daughters.
one of my favorite things about this book was the complete lack of homophobia. it was never an issue for anyone in their families, being queer felt so natural and normal in this universe, never treated in any way like something different - so incredibly refreshing and we need more queer books like this. it especially warmed my heart to see how accepting dylan’s grandparents in singapore are of him, since homosexuality was still illegal up until a few years ago and there is still no recognition of same sex partners because the older generation are very steadfast in their “asian traditions” as they call it.
i also loved learning about all the food aunt jade and dylan make, especially as a huge asian foodie myself who loves trying new recipes. i can’t wait to try making their once in a blue mooncake recipe sometime!
idk if this was really a review, more just me gushing about what i loved and related to bc i want to remember it all. but i did love the story of dylan and theo, i appreciate a good use of tropes like fake dating, one bed, miscommunication and breakups. i could really feel how much they were crushing on each other so strongly just through dylan’s eyes. this book is probably my new favorite queer ya :)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent
melist6's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death of parent
martigas's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Cancer, and Dementia
Minor: Car accident
yasidiaz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was perhaps the fluffiest thing I have read this year and I loved every second of it. Theo and Dylan are both amazing characters, and I loved how this didn't fall on the love-interest-not-standing-up-for their-partner-being-mistreated trope. Meg was one of my favorite people ever and I loved how she constantly teased Dylan. As an only child who grew up with my cousins, this is something I heavily related to.
What aspect I absolutely adored about this book is how we got to see two gay teens love each other without the homophobia. There is nothing wrong with those books (my favorite book has a forced outing) but there is so much merit to stories that don't focus on our suffering. Dylan's family loves him as he is and despite Theo's complications with his, him being gay wasn't one of them. Stories like this are just as important as the ones that touch the bigotry and suffering our community suffers, it shows queer teens that is so much more than our suffering.
It's lighthearted and funny but also filled with so much heart. I honestly love this book so much that I might get a physical copy. I need this to sit next to my favorite romcoms.
What aspect I absolutely adored about this book is how we got to see two gay teens love each other without the homophobia. There is nothing wrong with those books (my favorite book has a forced outing) but there is so much merit to stories that don't focus on our suffering. Dylan's family loves him as he is and despite Theo's complications with his, him being gay wasn't one of them. Stories like this are just as important as the ones that touch the bigotry and suffering our community suffers, it shows queer teens that is so much more than our suffering.
It's lighthearted and funny but also filled with so much heart. I honestly love this book so much that I might get a physical copy. I need this to sit next to my favorite romcoms.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism
bruhbruh's review against another edition
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Qualities of this novel :
- A gay book without homophobia.
- An adorable family and wonderful depiction of their relationships
- As a non chinese person, I discovered a lot of the culture
- Silly
Flaws of this novel :
- Cring cringe CRINGE mega Cringe.
- Bland love interest
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Grief, Drug use, Addiction, and Death of parent
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Car accident
its_vendetta's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
AHHH. I loved it! I think it was such a cute and heartwarming story. I loved Dylan and his motivations and immediately loved him and Theo together. The slow burn was real and then tension between them was !!!
I loved the conflicts and how both Dylan and Theo had to resolve issues, instead of it just being a one sided conflict. It really makes the story more realistic and interesting.
Honestly i’m sure there are flaws im forgetting to bring up, but the book just made me happy! I looked forward to reading it and it left me feeling cozy and giggly and that’s what really matters! My only wish was that it was longer, I wanted to stay with the characters more.
My favorite quote:
“You didn’t give me a fraction of what I have, Dylan.” His voice cracks a little. “You gave me a whole missing piece.”
I loved the conflicts and how both Dylan and Theo had to resolve issues, instead of it just being a one sided conflict. It really makes the story more realistic and interesting.
Honestly i’m sure there are flaws im forgetting to bring up, but the book just made me happy! I looked forward to reading it and it left me feeling cozy and giggly and that’s what really matters! My only wish was that it was longer, I wanted to stay with the characters more.
My favorite quote:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, Cancer, Car accident, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty, Abandonment, and Dementia
12dejamoo's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I liked this book. I liked it a lot.
And like, a hell of a lot happens. Normally I'd be rating this low and saying it rushed through things and tried to pile too many ideas into one book, but it had this undeniable charm which just made me forgive any of its flaws.
I guess really ideally this would be a bit longer, if only to spend more time with these two. But just in general it was so great.
I loved Dylan and Theo. They were both such distinctive, rich characters. And the supporting cast were also all excellent. Terri and Megan and Aunt Jade and Tim, hell, even Adrian. They were just great and so well characterised. Okay, yes, Aidrian was a bit of a caricature, but in a fun way. I liked all the scenes of cooking. Even though the mooncake competition doesn't take much of the book runtime, the multiple scenes of them prepping and discussing and planning mean the mooncake storyline is present throughout and it doesn't feel like it was tacked on the end.
Throughout the book you get these explanations of Malaysian and Chinese culture, about food and cooking, about running the shop etc. which just mean you are never in the dark about things and honestly you're kind of learning but in a fun, easily packaged way.
I do really appreciate that they didn't spend one thousand years dancing around one another. Like, yes, it was a 'fake date' in the strictest sense, but they both quite obviously liked one another from the start. It was a breath of fresh air in the fake dating genre.
I'm sure there are more flaws that I'm missing but honestly I don't care because I had a good time and this book made me happy.
And like, a hell of a lot happens. Normally I'd be rating this low and saying it rushed through things and tried to pile too many ideas into one book, but it had this undeniable charm which just made me forgive any of its flaws.
I guess really ideally this would be a bit longer, if only to spend more time with these two. But just in general it was so great.
I loved Dylan and Theo. They were both such distinctive, rich characters. And the supporting cast were also all excellent. Terri and Megan and Aunt Jade and Tim, hell, even Adrian. They were just great and so well characterised. Okay, yes, Aidrian was a bit of a caricature, but in a fun way. I liked all the scenes of cooking. Even though the mooncake competition doesn't take much of the book runtime, the multiple scenes of them prepping and discussing and planning mean the mooncake storyline is present throughout and it doesn't feel like it was tacked on the end.
Throughout the book you get these explanations of Malaysian and Chinese culture, about food and cooking, about running the shop etc. which just mean you are never in the dark about things and honestly you're kind of learning but in a fun, easily packaged way.
I do really appreciate that they didn't spend one thousand years dancing around one another. Like, yes, it was a 'fake date' in the strictest sense, but they both quite obviously liked one another from the start. It was a breath of fresh air in the fake dating genre.
I'm sure there are more flaws that I'm missing but honestly I don't care because I had a good time and this book made me happy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Alcoholism
Bad/absent parenting, flooding, money troubles, almost drowningmaki576's review against another edition
4.5
4.5⭐️
It was very sweet and cute, at some moments I even laughed out loud💕
Made me smile,laugh,cry and look at the non existence camera in my room with a shocked expression
I’m a sucker for cute familial relationships an this was a 10/10 on that scale
Only reason it’s not a 5⭐️ is because I wish it was longer. The start felt rushed and I wish we saw the characters become friends before they started fake dating.
I found it a bit odd how the characters saw each other like one time and then went to a wedding as fake boyfriends😐
Idk man that just made me annoyed but the rest of the story made up for it🤭
It was very sweet and cute, at some moments I even laughed out loud💕
Made me smile,laugh,cry and look at the non existence camera in my room with a shocked expression
I’m a sucker for cute familial relationships an this was a 10/10 on that scale
Only reason it’s not a 5⭐️ is because I wish it was longer. The start felt rushed and I wish we saw the characters become friends before they started fake dating.
I found it a bit odd how the characters saw each other like one time and then went to a wedding as fake boyfriends😐
Idk man that just made me annoyed but the rest of the story made up for it🤭
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Addiction, Car accident, Death of parent, Dementia, and Mental illness
ka_schulze's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Best friend is a total dick? Boyfriend’s dad is also way too concerned with his own reputation and is having a massive fight with his family?
I enjoyed the premise of the book but there were just a few things that didn’t work. Overall I enjoyed the development of Dylan and Theo and how they were able to make their relationship work.
I enjoyed the premise of the book but there were just a few things that didn’t work. Overall I enjoyed the development of Dylan and Theo and how they were able to make their relationship work.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Xenophobia and Toxic friendship
mspilesofpaper's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Dylan Tang (US-American with Chinese/Singaporean parents) helps out in his aunt's struggling takeout in NYC while also trying to keep his 3.5 GPA. When he delivers the last takeout of the route, he meets Theo Somers. Theo is charming, wealthy and certainly quite Dylan's type. Shenanigans happen and Dylan becomes Theo's fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons to avoid another round of "Oh, you're single? I know someone for you!" from his family. Unfortunately, not everyone in Theo's family is kind and approves of the boys' relationship, which just adds stress to it while Dylan is also working hard to perfect his mooncake for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs (to honour his mother but also to help his aunt's business).
Fake Dates and Mooncakes is an adorable YA achillean contemporary romance novel, set in NYC (Brooklyn), and based on the tropes: fake dating, one bed. While there is instant love, it is well-handed in my opinion. Of course, it isn't a masterpiece of literature but it is cute, easy to read and the characters are likeable. Sometimes that's all I need from a book. A few things are glossed over and could have been explored more (like the theme of grief and loss of a parent, which is something that both boys deal with).
The only two things that annoyed me were the stereotypical 3rd act break-up and Theo's best friend Adrian (in combination with the butler). Something that I hate more than instant lust/love is the 3rd act break-up (no matter if it's based on miscommunication, an outside influence or something else). It's unnecessary and in this case, it could have been resolved if Dylan and Theo had talked with each other (and if Theo had talked with his father). Adrian was just an asshole that was not required at any point. He didn't add anything to the story aside from having two scenes where he causes issues (and the reader never knows why Theo is actually friends with him aside from 'I know him since I was a child').
Fake Dates and Mooncakes is an adorable YA achillean contemporary romance novel, set in NYC (Brooklyn), and based on the tropes: fake dating, one bed. While there is instant love, it is well-handed in my opinion. Of course, it isn't a masterpiece of literature but it is cute, easy to read and the characters are likeable. Sometimes that's all I need from a book. A few things are glossed over and could have been explored more (like the theme of grief and loss of a parent, which is something that both boys deal with).
The only two things that annoyed me were the stereotypical 3rd act break-up and Theo's best friend Adrian (in combination with the butler). Something that I hate more than instant lust/love is the 3rd act break-up (no matter if it's based on miscommunication, an outside influence or something else). It's unnecessary and in this case, it could have been resolved if Dylan and Theo had talked with each other (and if Theo had talked with his father). Adrian was just an asshole that was not required at any point. He didn't add anything to the story aside from having two scenes where he causes issues (and the reader never knows why Theo is actually friends with him aside from 'I know him since I was a child').
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief