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displacedcactus's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-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? No
This is a mostly light, quick-paced, cute gay rom-com. It's on the sweet end of things, with a few kisses. There's a really cute corgi and a lot of delicious food, and even the antagonistic members of the love interest's family don't make an issue of the characters being gay.
Personally, I found the book to be a little too fast-paced. I wanted more time both to get to know Dylan, our MC, and Theo, our love interest. I wanted more time to absorb the emotional impact of some of the major plot-beats. But at around 200 pages, this book has no time to waste and goes pretty quickly from point to point until we screech to the finish line of a happy ending.
Also, I'm generally not a fan of the "rich boyfriend" style of romance. I'd rather daydream of a world where we fix the societal issues, rather than having a hot, rich guy throw money at my personal problems. I wouldn't have picked this book up at all, except that I am contractually obligated to read any book I see with a corgi on the cover.
Personally, I found the book to be a little too fast-paced. I wanted more time both to get to know Dylan, our MC, and Theo, our love interest. I wanted more time to absorb the emotional impact of some of the major plot-beats. But at around 200 pages, this book has no time to waste and goes pretty quickly from point to point until we screech to the finish line of a happy ending.
Also, I'm generally not a fan of the "rich boyfriend" style of romance. I'd rather daydream of a world where we fix the societal issues, rather than having a hot, rich guy throw money at my personal problems. I wouldn't have picked this book up at all, except that I am contractually obligated to read any book I see with a corgi on the cover.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Racism
Both halves of the couple have lost parents and there is frequent mention of this, but the parental deaths do not take place on the page.piperclover's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
2.75
Starting with the things I really liked:
1) The tidbits of Chinese/ Singaporean/ immigrant cultures. Facts about gift giving traditions or why certain things are named the way they are, etc are woven very seamlessly throughout the narrative so I didn't feel it was an info dump but I was constantly learning fun little bits and pieces.
2) There's a fair bit of Chinese but the author is really good about giving you context clues or translating it into English so I never felt confused. In a recent book I read, there was a fair bit of Spanish but often it wasn't translated and there were no context clues so if you didn't know enough to understand what was being said, you were a little los. This book was the complete opposite and I appreciated it so much. Along with that, the narrator is fantastic and he seemed to speak Chinese so it felt real and was nice to hear the Chinese on audio.
3) I think the summary is a little misleading bc the cooking challenge portion of this is fairly small, about 25%? Maybe less even. I actually really appreciated that bc I don't like those kinds of books but was going to sit through it anyway.
The things I disliked:
1) This was a solid 3.75/4 stars until chapter 19 and then it got stupid and convoluted. This is your typical loved but poor/working class kid meets rich but neglected kid and while I wasn't thrilled by that shallowness, it was fine. But when chapter 19 came, I was remarkably more annoyed and less content. The shallow cliche trope mixed with this plot introduced in ch 19 was suddenly equally clich but too much for me.
2) I desperately needed this to be dual pov or at the very least, Theo's solo pov. The trope described above has been done soooo many times and since this wasn't an new take on it, I was desperately wishing for Theo's pov so we could at least have a slightly new perspective rather than the same old "average Joe meets crazy rich person and feels inferior but still wants to be together".
3)This is so slow burn it feels monotonous. I don't need full sex scenes to be fulfilled (also bc these are minors so I don't want that anyway) but seriously dragging this out until the literal end of the book was irritating and drags the pacing way down.
4) A side character has a history ofdrunk driving and has an incident where she begins to drown after falling into a body of water drunk. She receives professional help and seemingly (?) makes a recovery and apparently becomes sober? It's ill-explained. This same character is then driving around teenagers and no one tells the parents of the teenagers. This bothered me greatly and I think the way this story line was handled was too shallow and too neatly wrapped up.
1) The tidbits of Chinese/ Singaporean/ immigrant cultures. Facts about gift giving traditions or why certain things are named the way they are, etc are woven very seamlessly throughout the narrative so I didn't feel it was an info dump but I was constantly learning fun little bits and pieces.
2) There's a fair bit of Chinese but the author is really good about giving you context clues or translating it into English so I never felt confused. In a recent book I read, there was a fair bit of Spanish but often it wasn't translated and there were no context clues so if you didn't know enough to understand what was being said, you were a little los. This book was the complete opposite and I appreciated it so much. Along with that, the narrator is fantastic and he seemed to speak Chinese so it felt real and was nice to hear the Chinese on audio.
3) I think the summary is a little misleading bc the cooking challenge portion of this is fairly small, about 25%? Maybe less even. I actually really appreciated that bc I don't like those kinds of books but was going to sit through it anyway.
The things I disliked:
1) This was a solid 3.75/4 stars until chapter 19 and then it got stupid and convoluted. This is your typical loved but poor/working class kid meets rich but neglected kid and while I wasn't thrilled by that shallowness, it was fine. But when chapter 19 came, I was remarkably more annoyed and less content. The shallow cliche trope mixed with this plot introduced in ch 19 was suddenly equally clich but too much for me.
2) I desperately needed this to be dual pov or at the very least, Theo's solo pov. The trope described above has been done soooo many times and since this wasn't an new take on it, I was desperately wishing for Theo's pov so we could at least have a slightly new perspective rather than the same old "average Joe meets crazy rich person and feels inferior but still wants to be together".
3)This is so slow burn it feels monotonous. I don't need full sex scenes to be fulfilled (also bc these are minors so I don't want that anyway) but seriously dragging this out until the literal end of the book was irritating and drags the pacing way down.
4) A side character has a history of
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
thelostartofsecretkeeping's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Car accident, and Death of parent
thelittlestmermaid's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
* Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the free ARC! *
I picked up Fake Dates and Mooncakes, hoping for a light-hearted read, and that is exactly what I got. This book is fluffy and sweet - with the exact right amount of family drama to spice things up.
Also, after reading this book, I am incredibly hungry. The main character describes many dishes in wonderful detail, which is amazing and sad for me because I live in a place where I am unable to locate any authentic Singaporean food. :')
The characters are all so loveable (with the exception of a few...) and realistic. I adore the chemistry between Theo and Dylan. And their friends and family were also so much fun to read about. I looooved Theo's cousin, Terri. She's just a great character.
Honestly, I don't really have anything critical to say, other than I wish their trip to the Hamptons had been longer. The juicy family gossip and rich person parties were quite fun to read. This book delivered exactly what I wanted it to.
I would highly highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet, romantic book to read.
4.5 stars
I picked up Fake Dates and Mooncakes, hoping for a light-hearted read, and that is exactly what I got. This book is fluffy and sweet - with the exact right amount of family drama to spice things up.
Also, after reading this book, I am incredibly hungry. The main character describes many dishes in wonderful detail, which is amazing and sad for me because I live in a place where I am unable to locate any authentic Singaporean food. :')
The characters are all so loveable (with the exception of a few...) and realistic. I adore the chemistry between Theo and Dylan. And their friends and family were also so much fun to read about. I looooved Theo's cousin, Terri. She's just a great character.
Honestly, I don't really have anything critical to say, other than I wish their trip to the Hamptons had been longer. The juicy family gossip and rich person parties were quite fun to read. This book delivered exactly what I wanted it to.
I would highly highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet, romantic book to read.
4.5 stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Car accident, and Alcohol
Minor: Xenophobia
analenegrace's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is a very cute romance with nice family sentiments and cultural history, but at times it falls short of any depth and feels very surface-level. Some of the stuff that caused the third-act breakup felt a little insane and then were gotten over very quickly.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer and Car accident
ezwolf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
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'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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Toxic friendship, and Racism
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, and Cancer
Minor: Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Animal cruelty, and Alcoholism
obscurepages's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Okay this was good 🥺 Hilarious and heartwarming all at the same time, and highlighted Chinese culture and traditions so well.
Have to admit some parts were already a bit predictable (especially if you're a fan of Crazy Rich Asians 😂), some themes could have been explored more, and the romance could have had more to it, but I just enjoyed reading this a lot. I think it's because the writing style and the humor was just excellent.
Big thanks to Fully Booked PH and Get Underlined for sending over an e-arc my way! (This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.)
Find me elsewhere: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/obscure.pages/">Instagram</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/lxndrnae">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://enthralledbookworm.wordpress.com/">Blog</a>
Marking this book as part of reading challenge: <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/de133357-4196-421b-8d50-0445bfec4ec3/">#ReadQueerly2023</a>.
Have to admit some parts were already a bit predictable (especially if you're a fan of Crazy Rich Asians 😂), some themes could have been explored more, and the romance could have had more to it, but I just enjoyed reading this a lot. I think it's because the writing style and the humor was just excellent.
Big thanks to Fully Booked PH and Get Underlined for sending over an e-arc my way! (This, of course, did not affect my overall opinion of the book.)
Find me elsewhere: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/obscure.pages/">Instagram</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/lxndrnae">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://enthralledbookworm.wordpress.com/">Blog</a>
Marking this book as part of reading challenge: <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/de133357-4196-421b-8d50-0445bfec4ec3/">#ReadQueerly2023</a>.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Sexual content and Racism
A minor characterbetweentheshelves's review against another edition
funny
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
4.5
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Car accident
Minor: Addiction, Racism, and Dementia
trippyotter's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I adore everything about Fake Dates and Mooncakes!
Through a chance encounter, Theo is determined to make things right with Drew for his best friends theatrics.
Theo finds himself smitten with Drew and his family, but things get a little awkward when Theo "secretly" helps, which leaves Drew feeling obligated to return the favor.
Despite the differences in their social classes and family drama, Theo and Drew bond over their shared grief and cultural history.
For a debut novel, this is everything I needed and so much more, from the fake-boyfriend ploy to the culinary references and everything in between.
I can't wait to read more from Sher!
Through a chance encounter, Theo is determined to make things right with Drew for his best friends theatrics.
Theo finds himself smitten with Drew and his family, but things get a little awkward when Theo "secretly" helps, which leaves Drew feeling obligated to return the favor.
Despite the differences in their social classes and family drama, Theo and Drew bond over their shared grief and cultural history.
For a debut novel, this is everything I needed and so much more, from the fake-boyfriend ploy to the culinary references and everything in between.
I can't wait to read more from Sher!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Classism, Alcohol, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, and Car accident
ramunepocky's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
A beautifully written book that made me laugh, cry and cycle through all kinds of emotions.
I really loved our protagonist and his journey as he sets out to honour his recently deceased mother's memory by entering the Mooncakes contest that she wanted to. This book is very much about family, about the lengths we go to for the ones we love, and how, even in the face of devastation, family keeps us going. I really loved Dylan's family and how much they supported him, but also everything he was willing to sacrifice and all the effort he puts in to support them too. I also really loved all the references to Singaporean culture and how much of the food was intigrated into the whole story too.
Fake dating is my all time favourite trope, its always so much fun and I love the barely concealed pining, and I feel like this book did it okay, but it fell a little flat in places. It felt a little rushed and glossed over and like the two protagonists barely discussed the parameters of their fake dating to make it convincing to Theo's family and Theo did just throw Dylan in the deep end by not telling him a single thing about his family and the current legal situation with his Aunt and Father, or his motivations behind wanting to fake date him until it had become a problemâ„¢, a problem that could have been avoided if he'd just communicated with Dylan.
I liked the romance, I do think it was sweet, even if it was a tad bit rushed, there were so many sweet moments between the two of them that I absolutely adored.
The last part of the book, primarily the Mooncakes contest and the parts after made me sob uncontrollably until the end. I just thought the whole rembrance and memorial of Dylan's mother was absolutely beautiful, and its so sweet after to see things FINALLY go Aunt Jade's way after all her hard work and all the hardships that had befallen her
I really loved our protagonist and his journey as he sets out to honour his recently deceased mother's memory by entering the Mooncakes contest that she wanted to. This book is very much about family, about the lengths we go to for the ones we love, and how, even in the face of devastation, family keeps us going. I really loved Dylan's family and how much they supported him, but also everything he was willing to sacrifice and all the effort he puts in to support them too. I also really loved all the references to Singaporean culture and how much of the food was intigrated into the whole story too.
Fake dating is my all time favourite trope, its always so much fun and I love the barely concealed pining, and I feel like this book did it okay, but it fell a little flat in places. It felt a little rushed and glossed over and like the two protagonists barely discussed the parameters of their fake dating to make it convincing to Theo's family and Theo did just throw Dylan in the deep end by not telling him a single thing about his family and the current legal situation with his Aunt and Father, or his motivations behind wanting to fake date him until it had become a problemâ„¢, a problem that could have been avoided if he'd just communicated with Dylan.
I liked the romance, I do think it was sweet, even if it was a tad bit rushed, there were so many sweet moments between the two of them that I absolutely adored.
The last part of the book, primarily the Mooncakes contest and the parts after made me sob uncontrollably until the end. I just thought the whole rembrance and memorial of Dylan's mother was absolutely beautiful, and its so sweet after to see things FINALLY go Aunt Jade's way after all her hard work and all the hardships that had befallen her
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Car accident