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teddie_valetine98's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
novelty_reads's review
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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? No
3.5
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a cute book and it was also one of my most anticipated books of 2023.
The second I heard Crazy Rich Asians meets Heartstopper I was immediately sold. As you probably know, Heartstopper is one of my favourite books and so I was almost certain I would adore Fake Dates and Mooncakes. Not to mention, I was promised food and corgis!
The plot centres around Dylan who just lost his mum not too long ago. He enters a mooncake competition featuring a traditional recipe his mum used. Meanwhile, he becomes the fake date of Theo, a customer of his aunt's takeaway business and is thrust into a world of wealth and privilege.
I really liked all the characters although I must admit I was second guessing Theo all the time, genuinely wondering if he was just leading Dylan on. There didn't seem to be a purpose for his character apart from being Dylan's love interest. I blame that on the fact that there were a few missed opportunities to expand on his characterisation. I think if we got to know Theo deeper as a character, the chemistry between him and Dylan would've grown and then we would've seen that Heartstopper comparison we were told in the blurb.
Family was what made this whole book rather than the romance. I loved Dylan's family's dynamic and I liked the glimpses we got into Theo's family too. Overall, this was a good book. Not a perfect one, there was definitely room for improvement, but there was a lot of heart.
ACTUAL RATING: 3.6 STARS
This was a cute book and it was also one of my most anticipated books of 2023.
The second I heard Crazy Rich Asians meets Heartstopper I was immediately sold. As you probably know, Heartstopper is one of my favourite books and so I was almost certain I would adore Fake Dates and Mooncakes. Not to mention, I was promised food and corgis!
The plot centres around Dylan who just lost his mum not too long ago. He enters a mooncake competition featuring a traditional recipe his mum used. Meanwhile, he becomes the fake date of Theo, a customer of his aunt's takeaway business and is thrust into a world of wealth and privilege.
I really liked all the characters although I must admit I was second guessing Theo all the time, genuinely wondering if he was just leading Dylan on. There didn't seem to be a purpose for his character apart from being Dylan's love interest. I blame that on the fact that there were a few missed opportunities to expand on his characterisation. I think if we got to know Theo deeper as a character, the chemistry between him and Dylan would've grown and then we would've seen that Heartstopper comparison we were told in the blurb.
Family was what made this whole book rather than the romance. I loved Dylan's family's dynamic and I liked the glimpses we got into Theo's family too. Overall, this was a good book. Not a perfect one, there was definitely room for improvement, but there was a lot of heart.
ACTUAL RATING: 3.6 STARS
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
dodgeremerson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Cute YA romance. Does not give you anything beyond what it promises, but it's an enjoyable read. I found the two boys (Dylan and Theo) very sweet and the ending is very heartwarming.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Abandonment, Mental illness, and Cancer
Minor: Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Racism, Alcohol, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Car accident
mishale1's review
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
sandwiiche's review
emotional
hopeful
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
a cute and silly little romance to distract me from my problems
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Alcohol
dododenise's review
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
thewellreadlabrador's review
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
venetiana's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
4.75
This was very cute. I thought the last bits were a bit intense, but on the whole, I really loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction and Alcoholism
Minor: Xenophobia, Car accident, Death of parent, Outing, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Emotional abuse, Classism, and Abandonment
nolimalumsedheroa's review
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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? No
4.25
While I didn't fully connect with Dylan and got a bit frustrated with his assumptions at times, him and Theo are adorable. Unfortunately, I can't rate this book 5 stars because even with suspension of disbelief, it still made huge leaps in logic at time.
Megan and Terri are both a mood, and I really feel like Terri got a large focus by the story, despite not being part of the main cast and I love it. Theo is just a gem. Aunt Jade is a fantastic parental figure and truly deserves the world.
Unsurprisingly, this book made me crave mooncakes, so... I'm off to try and make some, but I must say something before I go:
This book is an amazing summer read, full of cute fluff and romance. While definitely not something revolutionary, it deserves some hype for being adorable <3
Megan and Terri are both a mood, and I really feel like Terri got a large focus by the story, despite not being part of the main cast and I love it. Theo is just a gem. Aunt Jade is a fantastic parental figure and truly deserves the world.
Unsurprisingly, this book made me crave mooncakes, so... I'm off to try and make some, but I must say something before I go:
This book is an amazing summer read, full of cute fluff and romance. While definitely not something revolutionary, it deserves some hype for being adorable <3
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Alcohol, Classism, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Cursing, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury
shannonheal's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Car accident