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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: Death of parent and Abandonment
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism
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, Car accident, and Alcohol
axel_p's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
5.0
This is the best romance book I have ever read.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
fragilelunar's review
5.0
This book was sooo cute! There wasn't much I didn't like about this one. I adored all the characters (especially Terri and Dylan). It was nice that they had realistic flaws but were still incredibly likeable characters I was fully rooting for the entire time. The message of the importance of family and following your heart were really special. I loved the relationship between Dylan and Aunt Jade. It was sweet and heartwarming. I also really enjoyed Theo and Terri's relationship and how much they supported each other.
I've always really liked the fake dating trope and this one did not let me down! The tension and mutual pining was so sweet and cute! It may have been a bit insta lovey but I don't mind that too much. I think when it comes to teenagers, that's not super unrealistic. I loved how much they cared about each other and the way they supported each other throughout this book, even when circumstances were difficult. They had a pretty healthy relationship in my opinion!
As a Kpop fan myself, I always laughed a little bit at how many times Blackpink were mentioned. I would definitely be friends with Megan. All the cultural references and explanations of the food were really great as well! It really made you feel involved in the story and made me want to eat all of it. I've never had a mooncake before, but this made me want one so bad!!
Overall, I thought this was a really heartwarming story that I would highly recommend!
Trigger Warnings: death of parent (mother x2), grief, parental abandonment, drowning (not fatal), alcohol, alcoholism/addiction, rehab, DUI, car accident, blackmail, emotional abuse, flooding, classism, cancer, toxic friendship, dementia
Rep: M/M, Chinese and Singaporean MCs
I've always really liked the fake dating trope and this one did not let me down! The tension and mutual pining was so sweet and cute! It may have been a bit insta lovey but I don't mind that too much. I think when it comes to teenagers, that's not super unrealistic. I loved how much they cared about each other and the way they supported each other throughout this book, even when circumstances were difficult. They had a pretty healthy relationship in my opinion!
As a Kpop fan myself, I always laughed a little bit at how many times Blackpink were mentioned. I would definitely be friends with Megan. All the cultural references and explanations of the food were really great as well! It really made you feel involved in the story and made me want to eat all of it. I've never had a mooncake before, but this made me want one so bad!!
Overall, I thought this was a really heartwarming story that I would highly recommend!
Trigger Warnings: death of parent (mother x2), grief, parental abandonment, drowning (not fatal), alcohol, alcoholism/addiction, rehab, DUI, car accident, blackmail, emotional abuse, flooding, classism, cancer, toxic friendship, dementia
Rep: M/M, Chinese and Singaporean MCs
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
bianchibooks's review against another edition
3.0
There are probably a painful number of typos in this review, I am very bored and tired and I do not think anything I am saying is making sense right now LOL
I flew through the beginning of this book but as it continued, it started to drag and my patience towards how many pages I could finish in a single sitting started to dwindle faster than I would have liked. I appreciate authors who use vivid detail and imagery in their writing as any other reader does, but describing every single minuscule step in the mooncake baking process during the contest, for example, was not necessary to me. It is a YA novel, everyone reading predicted Dylan and his family would win the contest... and they were right! It felt like the author was delaying the inevitable just for the sake of a higher word count.
I have not read Crazy Rich Asians so I am probably not the most qualified person to comment on the relationship between the two novels, but having the story compared to Crazy Rich Asians by the characters in the story as it is happening made it seem as though the author doesn't believe this story can live on its own, which is a shame because I believe it can - it just does not appear to be given the chance to.
Some of the character elements were not fleshed out as much as I hoped for. For almost the entire novel, Theo is seen as a heartless rich boy. His relationship with his deceased Spoilermother was frequently mentioned, as was Dylan's, but I believe it would have been beneficial to include less about the mooncakes and more about the boys' grief as this would have been a way stronger point in strengthing the bond between Theo and Dylan.
Overall, I would have liked to see Megan's character developed more. All I know is that she liked Blackpink and seeing as she is basically Dylan's sister and she works so closely with him, Jade and Tim who are all relatively fleshed out characters, the constant Blackpink references gave me déjà vu.
The writing wasn't all bad though: I found the inclusion of Asian culture in this story to be very naturally fused. At some times it felt a little preachy and heavy-handed but for the most part, it provided an educational experience on tradition, and that is wonderful for a person like me who genuinely enjoys learning about how other cultures celebrate their families, friends, and community as a greater whole. It was also lovely to see Lee's passion exampled in her own writing as it is extremely obvious she is a fervent person.
For an insta-love style romance, there was the right mix of this instant love and slow burning to create a worthwhile payoff when Theo and Dylan finally actually get together as the real Theo and Dylan instead of fake dating Theo and Dylan. After that, it became increasingly sweet until I had a I am going to rip my molars out of my skull and feed them to a dog style toothache.
If you are looking for a sweet LGBTQIA+ romance, this is the perfect read to pick up for pride month. I cannot say that I'd consider reading it again, but I can say I am happy I read it once!
I flew through the beginning of this book but as it continued, it started to drag and my patience towards how many pages I could finish in a single sitting started to dwindle faster than I would have liked. I appreciate authors who use vivid detail and imagery in their writing as any other reader does, but describing every single minuscule step in the mooncake baking process during the contest, for example, was not necessary to me. It is a YA novel, everyone reading predicted Dylan and his family would win the contest... and they were right! It felt like the author was delaying the inevitable just for the sake of a higher word count.
I have not read Crazy Rich Asians so I am probably not the most qualified person to comment on the relationship between the two novels, but having the story compared to Crazy Rich Asians by the characters in the story as it is happening made it seem as though the author doesn't believe this story can live on its own, which is a shame because I believe it can - it just does not appear to be given the chance to.
Some of the character elements were not fleshed out as much as I hoped for. For almost the entire novel, Theo is seen as a heartless rich boy. His relationship with his deceased Spoilermother was frequently mentioned, as was Dylan's, but I believe it would have been beneficial to include less about the mooncakes and more about the boys' grief as this would have been a way stronger point in strengthing the bond between Theo and Dylan.
Overall, I would have liked to see Megan's character developed more. All I know is that she liked Blackpink and seeing as she is basically Dylan's sister and she works so closely with him, Jade and Tim who are all relatively fleshed out characters, the constant Blackpink references gave me déjà vu.
The writing wasn't all bad though: I found the inclusion of Asian culture in this story to be very naturally fused. At some times it felt a little preachy and heavy-handed but for the most part, it provided an educational experience on tradition, and that is wonderful for a person like me who genuinely enjoys learning about how other cultures celebrate their families, friends, and community as a greater whole. It was also lovely to see Lee's passion exampled in her own writing as it is extremely obvious she is a fervent person.
For an insta-love style romance, there was the right mix of this instant love and slow burning to create a worthwhile payoff when Theo and Dylan finally actually get together as the real Theo and Dylan instead of fake dating Theo and Dylan. After that, it became increasingly sweet until I had a I am going to rip my molars out of my skull and feed them to a dog style toothache.
If you are looking for a sweet LGBTQIA+ romance, this is the perfect read to pick up for pride month. I cannot say that I'd consider reading it again, but I can say I am happy I read it once!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Racism and Alcohol
Minor: Dementia
pey333's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Grief, Car accident, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Racism, Sexual content, Dementia, and Abandonment
inkandmuses's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Addiction, Car accident, and Alcohol
thelostartofsecretkeeping's review
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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
thelittlestmermaid's review
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: Alcoholism, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Xenophobia
sarahsthoughtsonbooks's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Received complimentary copy from the publisher.
While I enjoyed the book, this is definitely written for the YA audience in mind, as adults will need to suspend disbelief. A lot of things move quickly.
While I enjoyed the book, this is definitely written for the YA audience in mind, as adults will need to suspend disbelief. A lot of things move quickly.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Death of parent
Minor: Bullying, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, and Classism