About the Book
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Publishing Date: May 16, 2023
Representation: Chinese, Singaporean Chinese, Singaporean, Gay
Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians in this heartfelt, joyful paperback original rom-com that follows an aspiring chef who discovers the recipe for love is more complicated than it seems when he starts fake-dating a handsome new customer.
Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs—in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn.
Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan’s stomach do backflips. AKA a distraction. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but Theo keeps showing up. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons.
In Theo’s glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend . . . but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. For real. Then Theo’s relatives reveal their true colors—but with the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can’t risk being sidetracked by rich-people problems.
Can Dylan save his family’s business and follow his heart—or will he fail to do both?
Content Warning: Grief
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Rating: 4.5 Stars
Format: eARC (Courtesy of Publisher and TBR and Beyond Tours) and Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Underlined
Sher Lee’s debut novel Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a surprising book. For starters, I never would have known about it or given it a chance had I not seen it as part of a blog tour. The comparisons between Heartstopper and Crazy Rich Asians convinced me to give the book a chance, and I’m very glad I did. If you like Casey McQuiston’s Red White and Royal Blue, this book has elements that are reminiscent of that too.
The food in this book is ah-mazing, and an integral part of the world. As a warning, you probably shouldn't read this book while hungry. One of the biggest parts of the story is Dylan’s family restaurant (run by his aunt Jade), and how he is entering a contest to help gain some publicity to save it. The mooncakes Dylan makes in the book are a labor of love, and it’s obvious that the author put a lot of love into the research and details that go into the various recipes presented in the book.
The characters and interactions were also surprising. I was not expecting some of the character plot twists. Theo and Dylan are adorable, and they have a very unique meet- cute moment. The side characters like Aunt Jade, Megan, Tim, and of course Clover are also integral to the story. The one hesitation I have was the whirlwind of insta-love and fake dating, which kind of put me off a bit (they are admittedly not my favorite tropes), but overall it didn't impact my enjoyment of the book too much.
Put together, Fake Dates and Mooncakes was a very entertaining read. A perfectly balanced recipe complete with lots of humor, heart, and romantic moments. The narrator, Joshua Chang, did an excellent job bringing Dylan’s perspective to life with his performance in the audiobook narration. As a standalone novel, I think the author wrapped up the storyline very nicely at the end of the book. I’m definitely intrigued enough to check out whatever the author writes in the future (she has a new young adult fantasy, Legend of the White Snake, set to release in 2024).
Thank you to the author, the publisher, the team at TBR and Beyond Tours for providing me with a complimentary review copy of this book as part of my participation in the tour. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review Fake Dates and Mooncakes immensely. Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.
About the Author
Sher Lee writes rom-coms and fantasy novels for teens. She lives in Singapore and has an abiding love for local street food (including an incredible weakness for xiao long bao).
FAKE DATES AND MOONCAKES, pitched as Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians, is her debut YA rom-com coming Summer 2023 from Penguin Random House.
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