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raichou's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5
This is such a lovely story of two people from almost different world getting to know each other and realising that neither of their lives are perfect.
Dylan and Theo have a lot to work and figure out before being able to get together for good, but I really enjoyed their journey and was rooting for them the whole time.
Dylan and Theo have a lot to work and figure out before being able to get together for good, but I really enjoyed their journey and was rooting for them the whole time.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Toxic relationship
mishale1's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-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? No
3.5
This book was so cute and so sweet. I also learned a few things while reading it.
Dylan’s mom passed away about a year ago and he lives with his aunt and cousins. He feels very grateful to his aunt and wants nothing more than to help her save her restaurant. He is going to enter a Mooncake making contest and he hopes the exposure from being on tv would help save the restaurant.
Then Dylan meets Theo. Theo’s family is obscenely wealthy. So wealthy that he is easily able to sneak $5,000 to Dylan’s aunt under the guise of a grant.
Theo has money but he doesn’t have the family love and support that Dylan does.
Theo asks Dylan to go as his date to a family wedding. He asks Dylan to pretend to be his boyfriend.
These two guys are both just adorable. I loved all the talk of Asian food too. I wound up having Asian food three meals in a row after reading this book lol
Don’t worry that the storyline about Dylan’s mom dying recently is overwhelming sad, it really isn’t. I was very grateful for that cause I wanted a sweet love story and that’s what I got.
Dylan’s mom passed away about a year ago and he lives with his aunt and cousins. He feels very grateful to his aunt and wants nothing more than to help her save her restaurant. He is going to enter a Mooncake making contest and he hopes the exposure from being on tv would help save the restaurant.
Then Dylan meets Theo. Theo’s family is obscenely wealthy. So wealthy that he is easily able to sneak $5,000 to Dylan’s aunt under the guise of a grant.
Theo has money but he doesn’t have the family love and support that Dylan does.
Theo asks Dylan to go as his date to a family wedding. He asks Dylan to pretend to be his boyfriend.
These two guys are both just adorable. I loved all the talk of Asian food too. I wound up having Asian food three meals in a row after reading this book lol
Don’t worry that the storyline about Dylan’s mom dying recently is overwhelming sad, it really isn’t. I was very grateful for that cause I wanted a sweet love story and that’s what I got.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol and Alcoholism
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, and Grief
bg_oseman_fan's review against another edition
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
4.25
This was a really fun read. I found the main character really compelling. i like that romance angle didn’t take over the whole story. i also liked his family and the way that their culture was depicted in the story. at times, the narrative felt rushed and some characters felt more like stereotypes rather than real people. i also felt like the dialogue functioned as exposition in way that really stuck out negatively. still it was a great story and i’m glad to have read it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Alcoholism, and Car accident
Minor: Dementia, Racism, and Abandonment
kearstenkeepsreading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
5.0
I am seriously so in love with this book!!! It deserves all of the stars! Such a beautiful story with a sweet LGBTQIA+ romance between two boys who meet under less than desirable circumstances. It all starts when Dylan delivers a very late and incorrectly made takeout order to a very rude and condescending customer only to be enamored by said condescending customers alleged boyfriend, Theo.
After their first fateful meeting Dylan and Theo become close even though it seems they don’t have much in common. Dylan is an aspiring chef who is always working and helping with his families takeout restaurant and struggling to make ends meet while Theo is an aspiring musician who is the son of a wealthy businessman who seems to forget he has a son unless it affects his reputation.
Through fake dates, family drama, and Mooncakes mishaps they start to care for one another and their families. It made me cry happy and sad tears and I will jo longer accept grand gestures less than what was done in this book!
After their first fateful meeting Dylan and Theo become close even though it seems they don’t have much in common. Dylan is an aspiring chef who is always working and helping with his families takeout restaurant and struggling to make ends meet while Theo is an aspiring musician who is the son of a wealthy businessman who seems to forget he has a son unless it affects his reputation.
Through fake dates, family drama, and Mooncakes mishaps they start to care for one another and their families. It made me cry happy and sad tears and I will jo longer accept grand gestures less than what was done in this book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
kawaii_rose's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as it captivated me with its well-crafted plot and multidimensional characters. The author's talent for creating unique personalities shines through with each character, making the story all the more interesting and engaging. The character development throughout the book is truly exceptional, and it adds a great deal of depth to the overall reading experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Grief, and Death of parent
madscientistcat's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
readingqueerly's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
3.75
This was beyond adorable. I loved every word. It was so funny and heart warming and cute. Not much bad to say. I liked the characters. I feel like the conflict was very substantial (sometimes with romcoms it can be a bit thin imo and a lot of things could be solved with just a conversation or some empathy). There was just a level of maturity to these characters that I loved and appreciated in a YA romcom.
Also it was well paced and a great length.
Yeah I don't have much bad to say. Overall really fun and nice light read. Would recommend.
Also it was well paced and a great length.
Yeah I don't have much bad to say. Overall really fun and nice light read. Would recommend.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent and Grief
dododenise's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
An adorable read! It has all the cheesy glory one would expect with a title like that. The tension and chemistry between Theo and Dylan is electric and made it work so well. The theme of family, and how different it looks to the characters was worked out well. I’m impressed by how this book managed to deal with the intricacies of these characters with so much care and love in such a short story. The pacing is very fast, so unfortunately you don’t always sit in moments quite as long as one would like. But I personally wasn’t bothered by it and was swept away. Fake dating will get me to read any book and I’m glad I picked this one up.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, Cancer, Grief, and Alcoholism
lethaltea's review against another edition
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Classism, and Grief
thewellreadlabrador's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Stars: 4/5
cw: death of a parent, grief, abandonment, alcohol abuse, car accident, near drowning
🥮
Centered around the Mid-Autumn festival, Fake Dates and Mooncakes follows Dylan Tang as he enters a Mooncake competition in an attempt to help his Aunt’s struggling takeout business and honor his late mother’s memory.
By chance, Dylan meets Theo Somers. The two couldn’t be more different. Whereas Dylan is from a working class family, Theo lives in a mansion, goes to private school, and drives an expensive car.
After Theo makes a donation towards Dylan’s family restaurant, Dylan agrees to be Theo’s fake date to repay him. Dylan quickly discovers the fake dating can lead to real feelings. But Dylan can’t afford to get distracted from saving his family’s restaurant.
Is it possible that he can save the restaurant and find love, even though it seems like everything is stacked against him?
🥮
This was such a cute, quick read. I found myself in a bit of a reading slump, and Fake Dates and Mooncakes definitely pulled me out of it.
I loved the detailed Chinese influence and the progression of Dylan and Theo’s relationship. I found it to be well written and charming.
This one is going on my recommendation list.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol, Abandonment, and Car accident