Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a cute romcom that has a lot of drama woven into it. It's entertaining! What I like most in this story is how food and culture plays a huge role. Dylan loves making food and he's very in touch with his Singaporean heritage, and it's cute that he teaches Theo to become more involved with his family and heritage. I appreciated how much I learned while reading the book.

This reads like a movie. I think it would make a good movie because it's paced perfectly for a one. As a book, it goes a bit too fast for my taste. Dylan is instantly attracted to Theo when they meet the first time and it develops to a crush soon after. This would have been a perfect story if it was paced a little bit better and the romance had been more slow paced. I would have liked to see Dylan and Theo get to know each other more before all the drama started. All in all, a cute, feel-good romcom that many will surely love.

I heard some really good things about this book before I picked it up and I am so glad to report that I agreed with them all! This book was such an enjoyable read. I loved witnessing the blossoming relationship between Dylan and Theo. It was so lovely to read and I was rooting for them both throughout. Sher Lee has a wonderful way with words and I cannot wait to read more books by this author.

With queer books I sometimes want deep reads that delve into pain and life - and sometimes I want froth that thrills and delights me. And that's what we have here - a gorgeous light bite of a book that is aimed at YA audiences but isn't at all immature - it's lovely and hard not to grin when reading it

A truly wonderful story alongside just as wonderful characters. Heartwarming and cosy, you can't go wrong reading this book.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a heartwarming queer romance, with the topic of grief wound within the story. This added depth and made me cry, but also made me smile and laugh pages later!

I loved the main characters, Dylan and Theo were a sweet couple and I enjoyed that it felt realistic in the way that they had disagreements throughout the story and it wasn't simply smooth sailing throughout.
I enjoyed that the author included Asian characters and fleshed them out further with customs and traditions which helped the reader to understand the motivations and the impact of their culture on their decisions and relationships.

I would have loved for the section set in the mooncake competition to have been a bit longer but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and Sher Lee's writing

Such a fun read! Very easy to get through! I felt like I flew through it. The character development was really well written and it shows through the dynamics and relationships formed with each character.

I really enjoyed this book, it was sweet and quick to get through!!! I love the thought of fake dating for a wedding SO plus fake dating is the best trope however I wish there was more of it the relationship felt a little rushed to me

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a fantastic queer romance debut from Sher Lee. As the title suggests, it is the fake-dating story of our two male protagonists Dylan and Theo and the narrative utilises other well-loved romance tropes such as only one bed, instant connection and the couple coming from different worlds. Through this, Sher Lee has created a charming and wholesome queer romance which was so easy to read in a single sitting and had me smiling from ear to ear.
Dylan and Theo were both fantastic protagonists who were beautifully written as realistic teenagers. I loved their instant connection and Theo’s charm and flirtatious nature will make you swoon. The supporting characters were all wonderful too. I fell in love with Dylan’s family and it was fantastic to have a diverse family type represented within YA fiction as Dylan lives with his aunt and cousins following the death of his mother.
The book is also a love letter to Chinese culture, particularly Chinese street food as Dylan is an aspiring chef working for the family takeout business and taking part in a local mooncake competition. The impact of grief was also beautifully explored through Dylan and Theo connecting over having both lost their mothers.
This book has been marketed as ‘Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians’ and that couldn’t be more spot on. If you are looking for a cute and easy to read queer romance packed full of your favourite tropes, look no further than Fake Dates and Mooncakes. This was an incredible debut from Sher Lee and I’m so looking forward to reading more from them.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I have posted an extended review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk and the post is linked.

This was a cute story, I enjoyed reading it and rooted for the main character and love interest throughout. It was quite a predictable tale but in a comforting way.

There are so many things about this cover that made me want to read it. You can take your pick from the soft, pastel colour palette, the cosy restaurant setting or the adorable corgi -it’s all very me!

Dylan’s aunt’s Chinese takeout business is struggling but he thinks that winning the Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake making contest would bring it the publicity it needs, as well as honour his late mother. When he meets Theo Somers on a delivery, his head is suddenly turned by this beautiful, rich boy. Then Theo keeps cropping up and soon enough, Dylan finds himself as Theo’s date to a Somers family wedding. But Theo just wants to attend this wedding to annoy his dad, so this isn’t a real date, right?

I really appreciated that I learned a lot while reading this cute romance. Although I did gain knowledge of Chinese and other Far East Asian cultures, there were also some handy hints dotted around the narrative. Who knew that Chinese tea effectively cleans greasy worktops? I’m so intrigued to try it out!

I have never eaten a mooncake, so I had no idea as to what they comprise of but I am now really desperate to try them. Sher Lee describes the process of making them (and the other dishes served in Aunt Jade’s restaurant) so vibrantly and educated me on their texture and taste, which I really appreciated.

The descriptions of food in Fake Dates And Mooncakes are so detailed, so I could almost feel the treats in my mouth and it made for such a rich reading experience. As someone who has never actually had mooncakes, I don’t know how accurate the descriptions are but they sound truly delicious!

The romance between Dylan and Theo is adorable. They definitely go through their rough patches but I never had any doubts that they’d figure things out. Despite their backgrounds and family situations being so different, they manage to find their similarities and bond over them. I really loved that they have a genuine friendship and it was lovely to be able to fully believe in them and their love.

Fake Dates And Mooncakes is a very cute, feel-good, queer YA romance and it’s full of cosiness. It’s also full of Asian cultures and gorgeous food as well as a celebration of family and all the intricacies that come with that. The perfect, heartwarming, easy-going romance to dive into when you need a pick-me-up!

First of all I want to say thank you to Netgalley and the publishers as I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to read this book but didn't feel it upheld my expectations as much as I had hoped. FDAM is a YA LGBTQIA+ 2023 book following Dylan who moves to support his aunt and cousins following a family tragedy. The dynamic between Theo and Dylan was frustrating with Theo always trying to dress up dylan or solve problems with money making Dylan feel uncomfortable. Adrian was just annoying. Unfortunately I cannot give this more than 2 stars personally.

A cute YA book that has all of my favourite things - fake dating, queer representation, family, and food. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a heart warming romance..

Well, that was just delightful! Though it is clear from the blurb what this story is about - the budding romance between our two MCs from polar opposite backgrounds - what I enjoyed most about this book was that it was just filled to the brim with queer joy and the angst/conflict in the plot was completely separate to that.

The plot, though not revolutionary is still incredibly enjoyable. Dylan Tang aims to win a mooncake-making competition for young chefs in honor of his late mother and to promote his aunt's struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn. He meets Theo Somers, a charming teen from a wealthy family who, for plot reasons, convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a high-profile family wedding (this is likely where the Crazy Rich Asians comparison comes in). As Dylan and Theo's pretend romance turns real, Dylan must balance saving his family's business and pursuing his newfound feelings despite the obstacles put in their way.

Normally I am not a huge fan of a 3rd act breakup, however, in this book it completely makes sense. The MCs are approximately 17 so it is perfectly reasonable (and quite mature) for Dylan to make the choice he does. I also have zero issues with the "insta-love" trope in this book, because again the MCs are teenagers and at that age, everything feels like true love.

Though I received an e-arc on Netgalley, I also listened to this book on audio and I am so glad that I did! The narration was smooth and very enjoyable to listen to and I really think it brought the story to life just that bit more. I would 10/10 watch any screen adaptation of this book.

I loved it! It was so adorable, deep, smart, great, well written! LOVED IT. Also the cover is just stunning. Can I please have more books like that on my TBR?

And the Corgi <3
It is one of those books I reached for because of the cover and stayed because of the plot.
I would gladly read more by this author and I hope I will be able to soon.

Was so excited to be accepted for a copy of this one as I’d heard many people talking about what a cute story it was and it didn’t disappoint!

I don’t normally read many queer stories (not for any reason, they’re just not my go to) but this was a great book and had one of my favourite tropes of fake dating. And we all love a story with a cute dog!! I loved how supportive Dylan’s family was and the cousins wedding was a definite highlight!! One for the masses and I look forward to seeing what the author brings out in the future

DNF at 50% - I was frustrated or irritated by so many things that I kept putting it down and not picking it up for a week, so I’ve decided to just call it quits.

Most of my problems with this book were a matter of taste. The biggest turn off for me was the insta-love. It’s just not my thing, thanks. I also felt like the tropeyness was leading the plot rather than the other way around. And I’m not bashing a good trope, I picked up a book with ‘fake dates’ in the title for a reason, but they need to feel like a natural emergence from the characters, and not a point-to-point they’re following, which is how this read to me. I was struggling to invest in the characters because of this.

I found myself frustrated with the way dialogue was used as exposition because it left that characters not sounding like teenagers (or anyone, really—I know there’s a certain amount of convenience required in romance novels, but they narrate just the right thing at just the right time to emphasise just the right bit of plot).

The prose was also not quite to my taste. My preference is fairly middle of the road between straightforward and flowery, and this fell a little too far on the plain side for me. Things are stated simply and directly — “Excitement rushes through me.” — rather than leaning into the experience of it.

That all said, I loved the foodiness. This is not a book to read on an empty stomach.

This book was a wonderful story of love but most importantly family. I found the interwoven details and exploration of the characters culture so interesting and they really added to my enjoyment of the story as I learnt a lot throughout the novel.

Overall i found the story to be such a sweet and heartwarming read and i would absolutely recommend.

Thank you so much to the publishers for allowing me to review this book!

I absolutely loved this book! It was such a fun and quick read and so cute too!! I will defo be reading more from this author!

I never thought I’ll say this about a book but I’m quite literally SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP!!!

This was one of the cutest, most adorable rom-coms I’ve read this year, that left me craving moon cakes and xiao long bao. The quickly developing plot and insta love between the main characters did not bother me at all, and it just made me go through the book like a freaking Barry Allen/The Flash! For the love of all the corgis, the relationship between Theo and Dylan was just so amazing and k-drama like (can’t compare to C-dramas unfortunately as I haven’t watched any), it made me scream from the overload of all the feelings. Genuinely, I was hoping for some Subway add during a few moments as my cheeks hurt from smiling so much!

Was the plot complicated? Nope. Was the relationship mostly surface-level? Oh yeah. Did I love the book so much I’m gonna shove it down everyone’s throats? Oh hell yeah.

Honestly, if you crave a heartwarming rom-com, with a lot of good cuisine and cultural food, absolutely crazy and brilliant family dynamics and CORGI, let’s not forget about the doggo, then you MUST read this book!!!!!!!!!

NetGalley, I absolutely adore you, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read this. Corgi bless you ❤️