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wrongdecision's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
A lighthearted, sweet quick read with a (positively) surprising amount of information about Chinese culture.
I enjoyed this book very much for it's easy conversations, the friendships and the importance of family.
It was comforting to read for the most part and the characters were sweet and easily lovable.
While the social media, pop and meme references were a little too much for me at times, mostly they fit in and weren't too on the nose.
What I really, really enjoyed were actually the many little tid bits of information on Chinese culture, in reference to food but also traditions and beliefs as well as do's and dont's!
It was super interesting!
Sadly, I think the main part of this book, the romance itself, fell flat.
If the author had just gone a little bit more into detail about feelings it could have worked much better.
There is a lot of tell instead of show, partially a result of it being first person, but I don't really buy the emotions.
Dylan spends more time thinking about how he shouldn't show his feelings than actually showing his feelings and it gets a little repetitive.
Sure there are short moments of excitement and being flustered but the rest just doesn't come across very well.
You notice it much better with Theo, which in turn makes it a little more frustrating that Dylan isn't catching on.
The pacing is a bit off as well.
Many scenes feel like the author wanted to do something with it, make it special and meaningful but didn't want to go all the way so it is sometimes a little short and dry, more like you would write to yourself in a diary.
It's a pity, because a few extra details go a long way in making the reader feel like a part of it.
As a result the plot gets lost a few times.
In general I liked reading it, it was entertaining, informative and sweet!
Seeing as this is the author's debut novel I think it is a great start and I'm hopeful for future books!
I enjoyed this book very much for it's easy conversations, the friendships and the importance of family.
It was comforting to read for the most part and the characters were sweet and easily lovable.
While the social media, pop and meme references were a little too much for me at times, mostly they fit in and weren't too on the nose.
What I really, really enjoyed were actually the many little tid bits of information on Chinese culture, in reference to food but also traditions and beliefs as well as do's and dont's!
It was super interesting!
Sadly, I think the main part of this book, the romance itself, fell flat.
If the author had just gone a little bit more into detail about feelings it could have worked much better.
There is a lot of tell instead of show, partially a result of it being first person, but I don't really buy the emotions.
Dylan spends more time thinking about how he shouldn't show his feelings than actually showing his feelings and it gets a little repetitive.
Sure there are short moments of excitement and being flustered but the rest just doesn't come across very well.
You notice it much better with Theo, which in turn makes it a little more frustrating that Dylan isn't catching on.
The pacing is a bit off as well.
Many scenes feel like the author wanted to do something with it, make it special and meaningful but didn't want to go all the way so it is sometimes a little short and dry, more like you would write to yourself in a diary.
It's a pity, because a few extra details go a long way in making the reader feel like a part of it.
As a result the plot gets lost a few times.
In general I liked reading it, it was entertaining, informative and sweet!
Seeing as this is the author's debut novel I think it is a great start and I'm hopeful for future books!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism and Alcohol
purely_romantic's review against another edition
emotional
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? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
ruthiedr89's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Classism, Death, and Death of parent
mirandyli's review
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
4.5
This is the lighthearted queer Asian YA romcom that is perfect when you need a mental health boost. Super fast read and an adorable story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Death of parent, Addiction, Cancer, Grief, Racism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Car accident, and Classism
evie_lake's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent and Grief
For fellow vegans out there - there is a lot of descriptions of animal-based food being prepared or eaten.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
maki576'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
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
torismazarine's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Addiction, Alcohol, and Car accident
Minor: Cancer
frantic_vampire's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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 such a sweet story! I loved the focus on family, cooking, and finding happiness is unexpected places. I loved Dylan, he was so kind. Especially when he was dealing with an asshole customer or his boyfriends (very rich and slightly obnoxious) family. And Theo, the fake date/boyfriend was such a sweetheart. I loved that he just wanted to hangout and be around Dylan and his family. I also loved how close Dylan’s family was and that they actually acted like a family with all the teasing and jokes and working together. It was just so nice to see in a YA book!
Honestly, I think this is gonna be one of my favorite books I’ve read this year! It felt like home, even though I’ve never been to Brooklyn or had the chance to eat some of the foods mentioned in the story. It was just that good. Fake Dates And Mooncakes is getting five out of five stars!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Gaslighting