Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee
Release date: May 25, 2023
Amazon UK | Waterstones | Amazon US | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble
Meet Dylan Tang: he juggles school and delivery runs for his aunt's struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn. Winning a mooncake competition could bring the publicity they needed to stay afloat.
Enter Theo Somers: a charming, wealthy customer who convinces Dylan to be his fake date to a family wedding full of crazy rich drama. Their romance is supposed to be just for show...but soon Dylan's falling for Theo. For real.
With the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can't risk being distracted by rich-people problems. Can he save his family's business and follow his heart - or will he fail to do both?
This was my first queer read EVER! All I can say is why haven't I read more books like this before.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5 stars
Trope: Fake Dating
This book is about two boys from very different backgrounds going through their own family drama. There is the classic rich protagonist who needs a fake date to bring along to accompany him in the family feud so he isn't enduring it by himself. In comes Dylan who comes from a poorer family background and tries to make ends meet by helping his aunt out in their takeout, whilst also struggling to find what he wants to pursue in the future.
All while they help each other out with their problems. An undeniable love starts to form between the two. One falls first, but the other falls harder.
Books like this you expect to be cheesy, however, you do not have to dread that here! It held so much tension whilst Dylan held a lot of self-conscious thoughts about his own actions. You can expect the one bed scene though. wink. There is a ridiculously sweet romance, it had me yelling at the book multiple times. The romance in this book was executed so well.
One of my favourite characters from the book was Dylan's cousin Megan, who was Dylan's wingwomen throughout the book. Constantly being there for him and making sure he showed only his true self to Theo. Her interests were similar to mine. Dylan can share right? Megan is now my friend too. I loved seeing the effect Megan had on Dylan and Theo, truly think nothing would have progressed without her.
Another aspect of the book I loved was how it included a character who was Indian. I don't usually see many representations of Hinduism or Indian characters so it was a pleasant surprise to read. Even if it was short, it was appreciated. It really made the book feel more immersive.
The characters in the book weren't the only ones learning how diverse Dylan's cultural background is. The symbolism of the many sayings have stuck with me, and will forever be ingrained in my head.
The character development I enjoyed the most was Malcom, aka Theo's dad, someone I disliked strongly for most of the book. Up until the end, where everything fell into place. Still I am not fully content with liking him, but I know I don't hate him anymore.
Fake Dates and Mooncakes is now my current favourite read of all time. If you want a cross between Fake-Dating, Kpop, the one bed scene, awkward situations, asian culture then you NEED this book. I will not stop talking about this book till all my bookish friends have read it.
Thank you Macmillan for providing a digital Netgalley ARC
No comments:
Post a Comment