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bellebookcorner's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
“Giving your heart to someone is like learning to ride a bike. You’ll skin your elbows and knees, but the pain will pass. You’ll heal. And one day, the scars will be a memory, not of failing, but of getting up again.”
It's truly an adorable, heart-warming and touching story about family, grief, Chinese cultures, delicious food and sizzling romance!
The plot flows smoothly and the writing style is easy to read which makes it so hard to put down. Detail descriptions of the foods successfully makes me feel hungry and crave for those foods as I read this book.
I also love the Chinese culture representation about the family traditions and foods, like the xiao long bao and the legends behind the mooncakes itself. The story also brings out the 'Crazy Rich Asian' vibes with Theo's relatives glamourous lifestyle.
The main characters (Dylan and Theo) are so adorable and I like their growing chemistry with one another as the story progresses.
At first glance, they look completely different but after getting to know each other, turns out they’re not so different after all.
The secondary characters - Dylan's family and Theo's relatives are also very well developed and really liven up the story.
I love seeing the strong bond and easy-going interaction in Dylan’s family, they care for each other and really support one another. I also like how welcoming they are to Theo.
Not just a fluffy and funny romance, this book also has its touching and emotional moments like getting to know Theo’s family and past as well as Dylan’s grief over losing her mother.
Overall, for a debut novel this is a fantastic story with a satisfying ending and a small shocking surprise.
It’s highly recommended for readers who are looking for a light hearted cuisine queer rom com story with fake dating and found family tropes!
I'm really looking forward in reading the next book from this author in the future!
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Racism, Dementia, and Car accident
betweentheshelves'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: Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Car accident
Minor: Addiction, Racism, and Dementia
bookswithca's review
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Racism, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism