Fake Dates And Mooncakes by Sher Lee
Genre : YA Contemporary
Publisher : Underlined
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?
Welcome Sher Lee! I'm so excited to have you on the blog today! Thank you for joining us! Could you start off by introducing yourself?
Hi! I’m Sher, and I write rom-coms and fantasy novels for teens. I live in Singapore and have an abiding love for local street food (including an incredible weakness for xiao long bao), which you can probably tell from the story! I have two adorable corgis, Spade and Clover.
What was your inspiration for Fake Dates And Mooncakes?
Back in August 2020, during the pandemic lockdown, I found myself gravitating toward light-hearted, funny stories that provided an escape from the stifling isolation. After months of not writing anything, this idea came to me during the changing of seasons from summer to fall, inspired by the arrival of my favorite celebration: the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Fake Dates And Mooncakes features one of my all-time favorite tropes - fake dating! Do you have a favorite trope that you love coming across while reading/watching romcoms?
Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, along with mistaken identity, rivals to lovers, and there’s only one bed (or rain shower!)
What is your favorite mooncake flavor?
Raffles Hotel’s signature Champagne Truffle Snow-Skin Mooncakes! They are miniature mooncakes sold in a box of eight, and they have the most decadent, delicate snow skin, luscious white lotus paste, and a white chocolate ganache core!
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Credit: Raffles Hotel, 2022 |
(Oh wow these look so delicious!!!😍I wish I could ship them to myself through the screen!😆)
And lastly, are you working on any other upcoming novels?
Could you share some details with us?
I sold my YA fantasy debut at auction to Quill Tree/HarperCollins in a two-book deal! LEGEND OF THE WHITE SNAKE is a gender-flipped reimagining of one of China’s four famous folktales, in which a teen boy must hide his true identity as a white snake spirit when he falls in love with a prince hunting for a white snake for the antidote to cure his dying mother. It has the xianxia vibes of A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin and the queer romance of Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat.
We’ve also sold UK and Commonwealth rights to Macmillan Children’s, as well as Italian, Spanish, and Russian translation rights. I’m so thrilled to have the chance to continue bringing stories with authentic aspects of my heritage to readers.
That sounds perfect and I'm very excited to read it now because I love xianxia dramas and novels!❣️
Thanks so much for joining us again and I hope to read more of your books soon as I loved Fake Dates And Mooncakes!
This book was so cute! I mean, not only is the cover adorable but the story inside had the same vibes as the cover - soft, fluffy and romantic!❣️✨ I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't the cover that caught my eye at first, but that blurb sealed the deal! A fake-dating foodie romance with a mooncake making competition? Sounds pretty much perfect!😍 And it really was!
We have Dylan Tang, a high school senior who has been living with his aunt and cousins after losing his mom. He helps his aunt out at her Chinese takeout business in Brooklyn and while delivering an order he meets Theo Somers in an unexpected way. Despite their rocky start, Theo ends up helping them out when they need it and when Theo asks him to be his fake date to a family wedding in the Hamptons, Dylan agrees. Though they come from different worlds, as they spend more time together, Dylan finds himself falling for him!
Dylan was such a cutie - sweet, caring and hardworking! I loved his family too - Aunt Jade, Megan and Tim were such amazing characters and I loved how they always had each other's backs! And we shouldn't forget Dylan's corgi - Clover too!😍
“Because every story can have a different ending.” Aunt Jade’s expression is meaningful. “It all depends on which one you want to believe in.”
If you didn't already know fake dating is a favorite trope of mine, and I loved watching Dylan and Theo fake a relationship as they slowly got to know each other better!😉 The attraction between them was present from the very first meeting itself and Theo is quite charming too, but they have many things to figure out. And the wedding that they attend and Theo's family brings in a little bit of drama - but in an entertaining way! I felt sorry for Theo at times and I loved and hated some of his family members. But as Theo and Dylan grew closer, I loved how protective they got about each other and they truly encouraged each other to be their best at what they love to do! I also loved the fact that Theo was very clear that he'd never let anyone give Dylan a hard time. And the grand gesture in the last few chapters *swoons*
And don't get me started on those food descriptions! I wished I could eat all the xiao long baos and the mooncakes that Dylan had made but oh never mind I'll just order it😂 Anyway, I pretty much loved everything about this book and the characters, and I'd definitely recommend this one if you're looking for an adorable queer YA romance with fake dating!❣️✨
*I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest
review*
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.
You can also follow the rest of the tour by checking the
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