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A review by bookishmillennial
Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
I thought this was a sweet enough contemporary young adult romcom, even if it was a bit predictable as far as fully knowing what to expect out of the lower-middle class kid going out with an extremely wealthy kid, and their worlds being completely different.
This is told in first-person, present-tense POV of Dylan, who works at his aunt Jade’s Singaporean Chinese takeout store in Brooklyn, and is hoping to win the Mooncakes contest in order to help her to open her restaurant. Theo, the son of a mega-powerful & wealthy businessman, invites Dylan to a family wedding as his fake date after Theo gives Dylan’s family $5,000 (basically, Dylan wants to repay Theo somehow & Theo says, “okay, be my fake date to this wedding!”)
As with most fake dating, obviously the feelings become real, but not without some mischief running afoot by Theo’s dad & his friend Adrian. There was one scene with Dylan saving the day for one of Theo’s cousins Terri, and that was wild! I was not expecting that. Everything else felt like a predictable Hallmark romcom though, but that’s not a bad thing! The sentiments, the vibes, and the dialogue just felt like they’d fit perfectly.
I appreciated the internal conflict that Dylan had in choosing to either become a veterinarian or a chef — both are so valid! I love when any story brings up adoption because America’s animal shelters and rescues are FULL right now because of irresponsible pet ownership (&absolutely because of rising costs of living too, I recognize that, but the euthanasia rates are steadily increasing, which is just devastating) so pleaseeeee ADOPT, DON’T SHOP! Sheesh❤️🩹🥲
The one thing I wish was fleshed out was Theo’s character — he seemed *too* perfect, and I wish he didn’t just feel like your everyday Prince Charming if that makes sense? I appreciated his love for painting, Jackson Pollock, & generally the liberal arts, but I would’ve loved to have more of his personality shine through.
I was moved by the fact that both of these boys lost their mothers, and they had that to connect with the other on. I have not lost a parent so I can only imagine, but I felt Lee represented this grief & dynamic well.
Overall, I thought this was adorable & I’d definitely read more from Sher Lee in the future!
cw: gaslighting, manipulative father/son dynamic, emotional/financial bribing/abuse, classism, toxic friendship, death of a parent, grief, past DUI discussed
I thought this was a sweet enough contemporary young adult romcom, even if it was a bit predictable as far as fully knowing what to expect out of the lower-middle class kid going out with an extremely wealthy kid, and their worlds being completely different.
This is told in first-person, present-tense POV of Dylan, who works at his aunt Jade’s Singaporean Chinese takeout store in Brooklyn, and is hoping to win the Mooncakes contest in order to help her to open her restaurant. Theo, the son of a mega-powerful & wealthy businessman, invites Dylan to a family wedding as his fake date after Theo gives Dylan’s family $5,000 (basically, Dylan wants to repay Theo somehow & Theo says, “okay, be my fake date to this wedding!”)
As with most fake dating, obviously the feelings become real, but not without some mischief running afoot by Theo’s dad & his friend Adrian. There was one scene with Dylan saving the day for one of Theo’s cousins Terri, and that was wild! I was not expecting that. Everything else felt like a predictable Hallmark romcom though, but that’s not a bad thing! The sentiments, the vibes, and the dialogue just felt like they’d fit perfectly.
I appreciated the internal conflict that Dylan had in choosing to either become a veterinarian or a chef — both are so valid! I love when any story brings up adoption because America’s animal shelters and rescues are FULL right now because of irresponsible pet ownership (&absolutely because of rising costs of living too, I recognize that, but the euthanasia rates are steadily increasing, which is just devastating) so pleaseeeee ADOPT, DON’T SHOP! Sheesh❤️🩹🥲
The one thing I wish was fleshed out was Theo’s character — he seemed *too* perfect, and I wish he didn’t just feel like your everyday Prince Charming if that makes sense? I appreciated his love for painting, Jackson Pollock, & generally the liberal arts, but I would’ve loved to have more of his personality shine through.
I was moved by the fact that both of these boys lost their mothers, and they had that to connect with the other on. I have not lost a parent so I can only imagine, but I felt Lee represented this grief & dynamic well.
Overall, I thought this was adorable & I’d definitely read more from Sher Lee in the future!
cw: gaslighting, manipulative father/son dynamic, emotional/financial bribing/abuse, classism, toxic friendship, death of a parent, grief, past DUI discussed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent and Grief