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Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie
A charming and clever rom-com about a young woman’s desperate attempts to fend off her meddling mother…only to find that maybe mother does know best.
Mark Chan this. Mark Chan that.
Writer and barista Emily Hung is tired of hearing about the great Mark Chan, the son of her parents’ friends. You’d think he single-handedly stopped climate change and ended child poverty from the way her mother raves about him. But in reality, he’s just a boring, sweater-vest-wearing engineer, and when they’re forced together at Emily’s sister’s wedding, it’s obvious he thinks he’s too good for her.
But now that Emily is her family’s last single daughter, her mother is fixated on getting her married and she has her sights on Mark. There’s only one solution, clearly: convince Mark to be in a fake relationship with her long enough to put an end to her mom’s meddling. He reluctantly agrees.
Unfortunately, lying isn’t enough. Family friends keep popping up at their supposed dates—including a bubble tea shop and cake-decorating class—so they’ll have to spend more time together to make their relationship look real. With each fake date, though, Emily realizes that Mark’s not quite what she assumed and maybe that argyle sweater isn’t so ugly after all… all…
Mark Chan this. Mark Chan that.
Writer and barista Emily Hung is tired of hearing about the great Mark Chan, the son of her parents’ friends. You’d think he single-handedly stopped climate change and ended child poverty from the way her mother raves about him. But in reality, he’s just a boring, sweater-vest-wearing engineer, and when they’re forced together at Emily’s sister’s wedding, it’s obvious he thinks he’s too good for her.
But now that Emily is her family’s last single daughter, her mother is fixated on getting her married and she has her sights on Mark. There’s only one solution, clearly: convince Mark to be in a fake relationship with her long enough to put an end to her mom’s meddling. He reluctantly agrees.
Unfortunately, lying isn’t enough. Family friends keep popping up at their supposed dates—including a bubble tea shop and cake-decorating class—so they’ll have to spend more time together to make their relationship look real. With each fake date, though, Emily realizes that Mark’s not quite what she assumed and maybe that argyle sweater isn’t so ugly after all… all…
349 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2024
212 people are currently reading
16496 people want to read
About the author
Jackie Lau
39 books864 followersJackie Lau decided she wanted to be a writer when she was in grade two, sometime between writing “The Heart That Got Lost” and “The Land of Shapes.” She later studied engineering and worked as a geophysicist before turning to writing romance novels.
Jackie lives in Toronto with her husband, and despite living in Canada her whole life, she hates winter. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, hiking, eating too much gelato, and reading on the balcony when it’s raining.
Jackie lives in Toronto with her husband, and despite living in Canada her whole life, she hates winter. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, hiking, eating too much gelato, and reading on the balcony when it’s raining.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 791 reviews
April 27, 2024
Rounded to four stars because I loved all the Toronto stuff
It’s really a solid 3.5 but since they don’t give us half stars I boosted it to four for the Canadian content and the ending.
The first half of this was decent but also exhausting. It all took place from Emily, the fmc’s pov, and was filled with millennial angst. There was a very meta feeling to this, as Emily is an author, but this often bogged it down in over explanation about the publishing biz and the woes of being a writer, single and living in a very expensive city. It really made the first half of the book drag and stalled the pacing significantly. Some would have been good for relatability and helped with Emily’s character arc but I felt slightly pounded over the head with it.
The second half of the book was much better, the pacing was quick and there was actual relationship development and time spent getting to know Mark, the MMC.
I enjoyed the family dynamics that were explored, both for Mark and Emily, and found myself actually liking Emily’s pushy and overbearing mother. There were palpable feelings of frustration, self doubt and inferiority on behalf of both characters, but they grew and helped support each other towards the end.
I feel like Mark’s character could have been developed better, he was kind of a white knight dream boyfriend rather than a fully fleshed out male lead. I wonder about the author’s choice to only include his pov towards the end. I would have liked to be in his head earlier, even starting with just a few scenes.
But the rich descriptions of Toronto and the references to my city made me so happy. Often Canadian authors set their books in the USA or a made up town to be more palatable or sales friendly to the American market and I’m so so glad that Lau didn’t do that. I loved reading about all the good and the bad parts of living in the centre of the universe (Toronto joke).
Will definitely read more by this author, and I think people who liked Bridget Jones, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Kim’s Convenience will enjoy this. And if you haven’t seen Kim’s Convenience watch it because Simu Liu got his start there and he’s a cutie and who I pictured as Mark in my head.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
*********************************
UPDATE: I TAKE IT ALL BACK. THEY SENT ME A PHYSICAL COPY OF THIS BOOK TO REVIEW AND IM CRAZY HAPPY!! THEY DO LOVE THEIR CANADIAN REVIEWERS! THEY DOOOOOOOO!
Sorry for shouting, I was excited.
**************************************
I love when a Canadian author writes a book set in Canada and published under the Canadian arm of S&S and then there is a goodreads giveaway that DOES NOT INCLUDE CANADA.
Anyway I got this arc from NetGalley and am excited about this book. However I WOULD LOVE IT if the giveaways/marketing team could get their heads out of their asses and include Canada in their promotions OF CANADIAN BOOKS.
It’s really a solid 3.5 but since they don’t give us half stars I boosted it to four for the Canadian content and the ending.
The first half of this was decent but also exhausting. It all took place from Emily, the fmc’s pov, and was filled with millennial angst. There was a very meta feeling to this, as Emily is an author, but this often bogged it down in over explanation about the publishing biz and the woes of being a writer, single and living in a very expensive city. It really made the first half of the book drag and stalled the pacing significantly. Some would have been good for relatability and helped with Emily’s character arc but I felt slightly pounded over the head with it.
The second half of the book was much better, the pacing was quick and there was actual relationship development and time spent getting to know Mark, the MMC.
I enjoyed the family dynamics that were explored, both for Mark and Emily, and found myself actually liking Emily’s pushy and overbearing mother. There were palpable feelings of frustration, self doubt and inferiority on behalf of both characters, but they grew and helped support each other towards the end.
I feel like Mark’s character could have been developed better, he was kind of a white knight dream boyfriend rather than a fully fleshed out male lead. I wonder about the author’s choice to only include his pov towards the end. I would have liked to be in his head earlier, even starting with just a few scenes.
But the rich descriptions of Toronto and the references to my city made me so happy. Often Canadian authors set their books in the USA or a made up town to be more palatable or sales friendly to the American market and I’m so so glad that Lau didn’t do that. I loved reading about all the good and the bad parts of living in the centre of the universe (Toronto joke).
Will definitely read more by this author, and I think people who liked Bridget Jones, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Kim’s Convenience will enjoy this. And if you haven’t seen Kim’s Convenience watch it because Simu Liu got his start there and he’s a cutie and who I pictured as Mark in my head.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
*********************************
UPDATE: I TAKE IT ALL BACK. THEY SENT ME A PHYSICAL COPY OF THIS BOOK TO REVIEW AND IM CRAZY HAPPY!! THEY DO LOVE THEIR CANADIAN REVIEWERS! THEY DOOOOOOOO!
Sorry for shouting, I was excited.
**************************************
I love when a Canadian author writes a book set in Canada and published under the Canadian arm of S&S and then there is a goodreads giveaway that DOES NOT INCLUDE CANADA.
Anyway I got this arc from NetGalley and am excited about this book. However I WOULD LOVE IT if the giveaways/marketing team could get their heads out of their asses and include Canada in their promotions OF CANADIAN BOOKS.
Read
May 10, 2024A new Jackie Lau is always something to look forward to. This is a fake dating romance with the backdrop of the 30something writer heroine being desperate to stop feeling like a disappointment to her pushy mother and also to stop said mother pushing her to date.
I really liked the way the heroine's relationship with her mother played out--the push-pull of annoyance, love, failure to communicate, mismatching assumptions felt very real and raw. Mark was a nice, very quiet hero who perhaps lacked a shining hero moment, but was consistently supportive in an extremely real way that probably means a lot more.
I struggled a bit with Emily's inability to own her decisions/their consequences--or, alternatively, at her bemoaning her lot without making much effort to change it. This is entirely deliberate, it's a Portrait of the Artist as a Thirtysomething Eternally Stuck Millennial complete with housing crisis, shitty publishing landscape, etc. To me she did seem to me to want to eat her cake and have it a lot of the time, and since we're entirely in her head for the first half, I got a bit exasperated, but I suspect that's because I'm malevolently menopausal, and younger readers would have a much more sympathetic read. I'm just here shouting GET OFF THE DAMN INTERNET like an old.
A thoroughly engaging, real-feeling book that embraces its characters' flaws, and I can't argue with any of the deeply felt remarks about goddamn publishing.
I really liked the way the heroine's relationship with her mother played out--the push-pull of annoyance, love, failure to communicate, mismatching assumptions felt very real and raw. Mark was a nice, very quiet hero who perhaps lacked a shining hero moment, but was consistently supportive in an extremely real way that probably means a lot more.
I struggled a bit with Emily's inability to own her decisions/their consequences--or, alternatively, at her bemoaning her lot without making much effort to change it. This is entirely deliberate, it's a Portrait of the Artist as a Thirtysomething Eternally Stuck Millennial complete with housing crisis, shitty publishing landscape, etc. To me she did seem to me to want to eat her cake and have it a lot of the time, and since we're entirely in her head for the first half, I got a bit exasperated, but I suspect that's because I'm malevolently menopausal, and younger readers would have a much more sympathetic read. I'm just here shouting GET OFF THE DAMN INTERNET like an old.
A thoroughly engaging, real-feeling book that embraces its characters' flaws, and I can't argue with any of the deeply felt remarks about goddamn publishing.
May 22, 2025
Fake dating. Meddling mothers. Chinese Canadians. All things I love, and I was invested from the very first page. I felt Emily's pain. I felt Mark's longing. I got annoyed at the sisters. I got annoyed at the mom. I also loved them by the end. Family is complicated, but they are family. This is exactly what I needed at this moment in time.
📖 Thank you to Covry and Atria/Emily Bestler Books
📖 Thank you to Goodreads and Atria/Emily Bestler Books
📖 Thank you to Covry and Atria/Emily Bestler Books
📖 Thank you to Goodreads and Atria/Emily Bestler Books
May 10, 2024
Love, Lies, and Cherry Pies by Jackie Lau
Contemporary romance. Own voices. Fake relationship troupe.
Emily Hung is living her best life. She’s a published author and part time barista. But now that she’s the last unmarried daughter, her mother has stepped up the matchmaking. Emily has heard from Mark Chan over and over. To finally get her mother to back off, Emily agrees to a date with Mike but it doesn’t go well. A second date by manipulation has them agreeing to fake date to ease the pressure. They find each other more interesting the next time and the relationship goes from fake to possibly friends. Can their mothers be right?
First impressions, maternal pressure, and drunk texting lead both into a relationship that surprises them both. A bit of passion and time spent with extended family builds depth between the two.
Mark let’s silence tell his story so it took time to get to know him. Playing babysitter while Emily is writing is the most adorable chapter.
Entertaining and romantic.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
Contemporary romance. Own voices. Fake relationship troupe.
Emily Hung is living her best life. She’s a published author and part time barista. But now that she’s the last unmarried daughter, her mother has stepped up the matchmaking. Emily has heard from Mark Chan over and over. To finally get her mother to back off, Emily agrees to a date with Mike but it doesn’t go well. A second date by manipulation has them agreeing to fake date to ease the pressure. They find each other more interesting the next time and the relationship goes from fake to possibly friends. Can their mothers be right?
First impressions, maternal pressure, and drunk texting lead both into a relationship that surprises them both. A bit of passion and time spent with extended family builds depth between the two.
Mark let’s silence tell his story so it took time to get to know him. Playing babysitter while Emily is writing is the most adorable chapter.
Entertaining and romantic.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
February 17, 2024
Family pressure leads to fake dating leads to....
Emily Hung has been hearing a lot about Mark Chan. Emily's mother is on a quest to find someone for Emily. Emily is happy being a writer and barista. But her mother has other ideas. She wants her daughter to have a husband and thinks she has found a great man for Emily. Mark is single, comes from a good family, has a good job, and just happens to be seated next to Emily at her sister's wedding.
Emily's Mom's meddling leads to fake dating and a lot of food along the way! We all know what is going to happen next. But as I always say it is all about the journey in romance books. I found this to be slow to start but enjoyable. There is more than meets the eye with these characters.
This was an enjoyable read full of drama, family expectations, some laughs, fake dating, and romance.
3.5 stars
Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Emily Hung has been hearing a lot about Mark Chan. Emily's mother is on a quest to find someone for Emily. Emily is happy being a writer and barista. But her mother has other ideas. She wants her daughter to have a husband and thinks she has found a great man for Emily. Mark is single, comes from a good family, has a good job, and just happens to be seated next to Emily at her sister's wedding.
Emily's Mom's meddling leads to fake dating and a lot of food along the way! We all know what is going to happen next. But as I always say it is all about the journey in romance books. I found this to be slow to start but enjoyable. There is more than meets the eye with these characters.
This was an enjoyable read full of drama, family expectations, some laughs, fake dating, and romance.
3.5 stars
Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
June 13, 2024
2.75 stars
Love, Lies, And Cherry Pie had a rocky start with an insufferable, jump to conclusions female lead, and a fake dating relationship with a dull as dishwater male character. Throw in a meddling mother and I almost threw in the towel. I stuck with the book because I had read some positive reviews stating it takes a while for the story to find its groove. After 150 or so pages, things got better but the pair still lacked great chemistry other than maybe when they were in the bedroom. Mark eventually got a backstory but it was too little, too late at that point.
On a positive note, I did enjoy the final chapters as there was some beautiful, heartfelt writing. While the book missed the mark for me in other ways, at least it ended on an upswing.
I won a free advance copy in a Goodreads giveaway. All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
Love, Lies, And Cherry Pie had a rocky start with an insufferable, jump to conclusions female lead, and a fake dating relationship with a dull as dishwater male character. Throw in a meddling mother and I almost threw in the towel. I stuck with the book because I had read some positive reviews stating it takes a while for the story to find its groove. After 150 or so pages, things got better but the pair still lacked great chemistry other than maybe when they were in the bedroom. Mark eventually got a backstory but it was too little, too late at that point.
On a positive note, I did enjoy the final chapters as there was some beautiful, heartfelt writing. While the book missed the mark for me in other ways, at least it ended on an upswing.
I won a free advance copy in a Goodreads giveaway. All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
January 29, 2024
This was a good read with some very cute moments and a surprising storyline compared to most romances.
The story opens with an instant dislike between the two MCs, followed by a slow unravelling of why. Enter numerous obstacles like fake dating and suppositions that go too far, and a mean sister, and you have all the ingredients for the couple to fail.
Emily was a very believable character, with all the angsts of her generation and basic needs for survival in a time that makes life difficult for those born in the '90s and on. Her ongoing monologue of anxiety-ridden thoughts might annoy some readers and feel like filler in places, but having a mind that goes a mile a minute myself, it didn't bother me.
Mark, the love interest, is different too, but with him it's like opening box after box until you get to the small gift inside, and then you find out some men are the exact opposite of what you see is what you get, in a good way.
(For those who are not fans of sex scenes, there are 2-3 in the book.)
The cultural thread throughout of a meddling, pushy mum who will do whatever it takes to get her last single daughter married has been done frequently, but there's a difference to this one, which I think readers will enjoy.
All in all, you'll be glad you read it.
3.7 rounded up to 4 stars.
The story opens with an instant dislike between the two MCs, followed by a slow unravelling of why. Enter numerous obstacles like fake dating and suppositions that go too far, and a mean sister, and you have all the ingredients for the couple to fail.
Emily was a very believable character, with all the angsts of her generation and basic needs for survival in a time that makes life difficult for those born in the '90s and on. Her ongoing monologue of anxiety-ridden thoughts might annoy some readers and feel like filler in places, but having a mind that goes a mile a minute myself, it didn't bother me.
Mark, the love interest, is different too, but with him it's like opening box after box until you get to the small gift inside, and then you find out some men are the exact opposite of what you see is what you get, in a good way.
(For those who are not fans of sex scenes, there are 2-3 in the book.)
The cultural thread throughout of a meddling, pushy mum who will do whatever it takes to get her last single daughter married has been done frequently, but there's a difference to this one, which I think readers will enjoy.
All in all, you'll be glad you read it.
3.7 rounded up to 4 stars.
February 14, 2024
This has to be one of the cutest fake dating romances I've read. From starting to fake date to please Mom to family drama, fake cake making lessons to oh so real kisses I loved this book.
As the fifth and only unmarried daughter left in her Asian Canadian family, and she's used to her mother matchmaking ways but when her mother starts her matchmaking ways at her sister's wedding things hit a new low.
When Emily Hung meets Mark Chan her mother's friends son, her mother is insistent they'll get married and the fake dating starts, surprisingly he goes along with it. From visiting boba shops to fake cake decorating classes they seem to always run into their friends that they must convince this is the real thing so the pda comes to the forefront. What happens when this fake affection turns into not to miss sweet kisses that are wanted by them both? Family drama, fun, laughs and cherry pies make this one fake romantic dating story not to miss.
Pub Date 07 May 2024
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
As the fifth and only unmarried daughter left in her Asian Canadian family, and she's used to her mother matchmaking ways but when her mother starts her matchmaking ways at her sister's wedding things hit a new low.
When Emily Hung meets Mark Chan her mother's friends son, her mother is insistent they'll get married and the fake dating starts, surprisingly he goes along with it. From visiting boba shops to fake cake decorating classes they seem to always run into their friends that they must convince this is the real thing so the pda comes to the forefront. What happens when this fake affection turns into not to miss sweet kisses that are wanted by them both? Family drama, fun, laughs and cherry pies make this one fake romantic dating story not to miss.
Pub Date 07 May 2024
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
September 2, 2024
4.25/5
It has been entirely too long since I read a book by Jackie Lau, so when I saw Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie was coming out, I knew I had to read it. The story is told from the viewpoints of both Emily and Mark, though the majority is through Emily’s POV. I really enjoyed this aspect as well as how each chapter started with a quote of some sort that would apply to the chapter. This romance features my favorite trope of fake dating and made me laugh several times while also getting me in my feels. As it should.
The audiobook is narrated by Catherine Ho & Feodor Chin and Ho is one of my favorites while Chin was a new narrator for me. I loved them together for Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie, and they made so much sense to be the voices of Emily and Mark. Family is a large part of the storyline, and I could see why Emily’s mom was driving her up the wall, but it was super sweet too. I totally teared up at the end and I couldn’t get enough of the phenomenal banter and Mark’s cat. 🥰 This is a great choice if you are in the mood for a romance that is light, quick, heartwarming, and amusing.
It has been entirely too long since I read a book by Jackie Lau, so when I saw Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie was coming out, I knew I had to read it. The story is told from the viewpoints of both Emily and Mark, though the majority is through Emily’s POV. I really enjoyed this aspect as well as how each chapter started with a quote of some sort that would apply to the chapter. This romance features my favorite trope of fake dating and made me laugh several times while also getting me in my feels. As it should.
The audiobook is narrated by Catherine Ho & Feodor Chin and Ho is one of my favorites while Chin was a new narrator for me. I loved them together for Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie, and they made so much sense to be the voices of Emily and Mark. Family is a large part of the storyline, and I could see why Emily’s mom was driving her up the wall, but it was super sweet too. I totally teared up at the end and I couldn’t get enough of the phenomenal banter and Mark’s cat. 🥰 This is a great choice if you are in the mood for a romance that is light, quick, heartwarming, and amusing.
April 21, 2024
I picked up Jackie Lau's "Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie" hoping for a light and entertaining rom-com, but it didn’t quite hit the mark. The premise of fake dating to get out of family pressure is a solid one, yet the execution was lacking.
Pros:
- The idea of a fake relationship to avoid parental matchmaking has a lot of comedic potential.
- The book includes some well-integrated cultural references which add depth to the setting.
Cons:
- Emily’s character struggles to move beyond constant complaining, which makes her less relatable and her journey less compelling.
- The interactions between Emily and Mark were unconvincing. There was a significant absence of the spark that's crucial for a romance to feel real.
- The story often felt slow and struggled to keep my interest. It needed more dynamic moments to truly engage.
While the book has its moments, they are too few to make up for its shortcomings. Lau usually delivers engaging stories, but this one might only be suitable for those with plenty of patience or fans of her other works looking for a quick read.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing an ARC. This is an honest review based on my experience of the book.
Pros:
- The idea of a fake relationship to avoid parental matchmaking has a lot of comedic potential.
- The book includes some well-integrated cultural references which add depth to the setting.
Cons:
- Emily’s character struggles to move beyond constant complaining, which makes her less relatable and her journey less compelling.
- The interactions between Emily and Mark were unconvincing. There was a significant absence of the spark that's crucial for a romance to feel real.
- The story often felt slow and struggled to keep my interest. It needed more dynamic moments to truly engage.
While the book has its moments, they are too few to make up for its shortcomings. Lau usually delivers engaging stories, but this one might only be suitable for those with plenty of patience or fans of her other works looking for a quick read.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing an ARC. This is an honest review based on my experience of the book.
June 28, 2024
2.5 ★
I’m not going to lie, I feel so bad about this rating. The guilt builds up when I look at the low number above( I have no idea why. Normally, I have no shame)
This wasn’t necessarily bad, per se, I just had no idea what I was getting myself into.
I thought this was a romcom. I did, 1000%. The cover, the synopsis, the title, everything about it screamed romcom. But it wasn’t, it was all an illusion. 😞
It was more of a literary fiction work mixed in with some meh romance. Let me just say I was not in the mood for that…at all… and it completely ruined my enjoyment of this book. I was so disappointed.
Also, side note, cherry pies were mentioned like twice throughout this entire book? They held absolutely no significance in this story and I have no idea why they are included in the title AND cover😀
I’m not going to lie, I feel so bad about this rating. The guilt builds up when I look at the low number above( I have no idea why. Normally, I have no shame)
This wasn’t necessarily bad, per se, I just had no idea what I was getting myself into.
I thought this was a romcom. I did, 1000%. The cover, the synopsis, the title, everything about it screamed romcom. But it wasn’t, it was all an illusion. 😞
It was more of a literary fiction work mixed in with some meh romance. Let me just say I was not in the mood for that…at all… and it completely ruined my enjoyment of this book. I was so disappointed.
Also, side note, cherry pies were mentioned like twice throughout this entire book? They held absolutely no significance in this story and I have no idea why they are included in the title AND cover😀
June 1, 2024
3.5 Cute Stars 🍒🐈🖋️
May 22, 2025
I adore getting time with Canadian authors who set their books in cities I love.
It was lovely to wander around Toronto with Emily & Mark, two very delightful characters.
I love me some fake dating and add in two people who kinda hate eachother (and you know they will be kissing later!) and I am all in!
Well done Jackie, well done indeed!!!
Big thanks to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster Canada for my ebook.
It was lovely to wander around Toronto with Emily & Mark, two very delightful characters.
I love me some fake dating and add in two people who kinda hate eachother (and you know they will be kissing later!) and I am all in!
Well done Jackie, well done indeed!!!
Big thanks to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster Canada for my ebook.
December 15, 2023
Squealing, giggling, kicking my feet. Jackie Lau never misses
January 23, 2025
this was so boring. tbh i skipped a lot of the middle and thanks to a very brief explanation from buddy reading, it still made sense in the end. i still have several complaints. spoilers ahead (but tbh i feel like all the plot points are incredibly predictable sorry!)
- emily is insufferable. she was cringe and whiny and jumped to conclusions and never owned up to it. reading her perspective felt like reading her diary in the worst way
- why did mark agree to fake date? was emily just sooooo irresistible that he just HAD to date her, not caring if it was under false pre-tenses? doubtful given above.
- mark was about as interesting as watching paint dry. i wish he had a personality.
- the way i kept forgetting that mark had a job lol
- the sex scenes were comically quick. she orgasms three times in just over one page (pg 233-234 in case you don't believe me)
- why is this book called Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie? she makes him a shitty pie one time. there's the mention of the pie milkshake. i was hoping the pie would make a bigger appearance. why didn't they sign up for a cooking class together and maybe pie could've become important to them?
- the way we hardly learn anything about her books and writing but know everything about being a barista. if writing is her passion why do we only hear about coffee?
- the vast majority of the beginning is about her mom being so overbearing. i'm not AAPI so perhaps this is a relatable experience for others but i feel like it took up too much of the beginning and also the plot. this is a romance novel, why did i read more about her mom's expectations than a developing romance? that being said i did really enjoy the conversation with her mom at the end. perhaps if this book was less about the romance and more about her relationships with her family it would have gone over better?
- i hated all the talks of how OLD 33 is and how SHE SHOULD BE MARRIED BY NOW. there's no time limit on this shit and it literally doesn't matter at all. all the millennial posting was so cringe and so unenjoyable.
overall i feel like this book was doing entirely too much while doing nothing at all. blah.
- emily is insufferable. she was cringe and whiny and jumped to conclusions and never owned up to it. reading her perspective felt like reading her diary in the worst way
- why did mark agree to fake date? was emily just sooooo irresistible that he just HAD to date her, not caring if it was under false pre-tenses? doubtful given above.
- mark was about as interesting as watching paint dry. i wish he had a personality.
- the way i kept forgetting that mark had a job lol
- the sex scenes were comically quick. she orgasms three times in just over one page (pg 233-234 in case you don't believe me)
- why is this book called Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie? she makes him a shitty pie one time. there's the mention of the pie milkshake. i was hoping the pie would make a bigger appearance. why didn't they sign up for a cooking class together and maybe pie could've become important to them?
- the way we hardly learn anything about her books and writing but know everything about being a barista. if writing is her passion why do we only hear about coffee?
- the vast majority of the beginning is about her mom being so overbearing. i'm not AAPI so perhaps this is a relatable experience for others but i feel like it took up too much of the beginning and also the plot. this is a romance novel, why did i read more about her mom's expectations than a developing romance? that being said i did really enjoy the conversation with her mom at the end. perhaps if this book was less about the romance and more about her relationships with her family it would have gone over better?
- i hated all the talks of how OLD 33 is and how SHE SHOULD BE MARRIED BY NOW. there's no time limit on this shit and it literally doesn't matter at all. all the millennial posting was so cringe and so unenjoyable.
overall i feel like this book was doing entirely too much while doing nothing at all. blah.
June 3, 2024
Really wanted to like this, because hello who else is in that precarious age where their mothers/aunts have started matchmaking because you're hopelessly single and the fact that it had Asian rep too—i was really excited for it.
While the concept was right up my alley, this was kind of a miss. The romance didn't feel believable to me, i wasn't convinced that the leads had much chemistry, i really felt like their relationship was underdeveloped, and the "explainer" on Mark's personality was sort of random... and appeared much too late? the POV switch in the latter part threw me off. I did not enjoy Mark's perspective, which is a rare thing for me typically i love dual POVs but the way mark viewed a potential relationship with Emily just raised a couple of red flags.
It also sounded too forced— kind of stilted and stuffy, sadly. I did like seeing aspects of Asian culture in this especially the focus on family, but unfortunately this didn't work for me.
Thank you, atria books, for sending over a copy!
While the concept was right up my alley, this was kind of a miss. The romance didn't feel believable to me, i wasn't convinced that the leads had much chemistry, i really felt like their relationship was underdeveloped, and the "explainer" on Mark's personality was sort of random... and appeared much too late? the POV switch in the latter part threw me off. I did not enjoy Mark's perspective, which is a rare thing for me typically i love dual POVs but the way mark viewed a potential relationship with Emily just raised a couple of red flags.
It also sounded too forced— kind of stilted and stuffy, sadly. I did like seeing aspects of Asian culture in this especially the focus on family, but unfortunately this didn't work for me.
Thank you, atria books, for sending over a copy!
July 15, 2024
Love, Lies, and Cherry Pies
⭐️ (DNF)
No idea on 🌶️ as I didn’t make it that far
📚 Romance
🎶 Cherry Pie - Warrant
One sentence synopsis:
A classic case of fake dating to get your mother off your back about getting married only to have the guy you fake date actually turn out to be who you’ve been looking for all along.
Book Review:
The main character is insufferable. She’s a complainer, conceited, and annoying. How am I supposed to root for her and her relationship if I can’t stand her? And the leading male has no personality whatsoever. He seems to like her despite her being rude and annoying. And don’t get me started with her family being the most ridiculous meddling bunch of people to ever exist. No wonder this girl turned out this way.
They didn’t seem to have any chemistry. The situations they put themselves in felt forced. Every character was annoying. This wasn’t enjoyable for me at all.
✨ Thank you @atriabooks for my #gifted copy. I’m sorry this one didn’t work out for me.
⭐️ (DNF)
No idea on 🌶️ as I didn’t make it that far
📚 Romance
🎶 Cherry Pie - Warrant
One sentence synopsis:
A classic case of fake dating to get your mother off your back about getting married only to have the guy you fake date actually turn out to be who you’ve been looking for all along.
Book Review:
The main character is insufferable. She’s a complainer, conceited, and annoying. How am I supposed to root for her and her relationship if I can’t stand her? And the leading male has no personality whatsoever. He seems to like her despite her being rude and annoying. And don’t get me started with her family being the most ridiculous meddling bunch of people to ever exist. No wonder this girl turned out this way.
They didn’t seem to have any chemistry. The situations they put themselves in felt forced. Every character was annoying. This wasn’t enjoyable for me at all.
✨ Thank you @atriabooks for my #gifted copy. I’m sorry this one didn’t work out for me.
July 23, 2024
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie
Author: Jackie Lau
Romance
This was a super cute read! Emily is on a mission to avoid her mother’s attempts at finding her a match. At her sisters wedding, she is stuck with boring engineer Mark Chan, that her mother is borderline obsessed with setting her up with. After the wedding she finds herself on a date with him, and being spied on / followed by various meddling family members. The only solution she can seem to find is proposing to Mark that they fake date. I really loved the family dynamics in this, and the colorful cast of characters. Mark was super awkward, and I love reading MMCs like him. Especially reading his journey of coming out of their shell. 🐢. Emily is a barista and an author. I love reading about authors and the challenges they face when publishing. It definitely makes me think about how much of it is fact versus fiction. Loved all the cute food references. 🍒🍰
Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie
Author: Jackie Lau
Romance
This was a super cute read! Emily is on a mission to avoid her mother’s attempts at finding her a match. At her sisters wedding, she is stuck with boring engineer Mark Chan, that her mother is borderline obsessed with setting her up with. After the wedding she finds herself on a date with him, and being spied on / followed by various meddling family members. The only solution she can seem to find is proposing to Mark that they fake date. I really loved the family dynamics in this, and the colorful cast of characters. Mark was super awkward, and I love reading MMCs like him. Especially reading his journey of coming out of their shell. 🐢. Emily is a barista and an author. I love reading about authors and the challenges they face when publishing. It definitely makes me think about how much of it is fact versus fiction. Loved all the cute food references. 🍒🍰
August 8, 2024
Pros: a book set in Canada
Cons: the main character is insufferable and just judges everyone right away and does not get better. Also not enough cherry pie for it to be in the title of the book?
Cons: the main character is insufferable and just judges everyone right away and does not get better. Also not enough cherry pie for it to be in the title of the book?
January 29, 2024
4.25 stars
Romantic comedy with fake dating and sloooow burn. Initially I thought this was going to be a chaste romance because for at least the first half of the book there was zero physical interaction between any character, let alone the MC's. But happy to be wrong, and loved the long drawn out romantic part of the story. There was so much to enjoy from this novel, from the info about how the publishing world works, to all the descriptions of the food they consumed, and the fact that the story takes place in Toronto (I'm in Montreal, we're neighbors). I was less charmed by the issue between Emily and Mark near the end, it was a created problem for the sake of the plotline and not really a plausible "real life" problem. Other than that, loved Jackie Lau's writing style. I will most definitely pick up another of her books.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Enjoyed very much!
Romantic comedy with fake dating and sloooow burn. Initially I thought this was going to be a chaste romance because for at least the first half of the book there was zero physical interaction between any character, let alone the MC's. But happy to be wrong, and loved the long drawn out romantic part of the story. There was so much to enjoy from this novel, from the info about how the publishing world works, to all the descriptions of the food they consumed, and the fact that the story takes place in Toronto (I'm in Montreal, we're neighbors). I was less charmed by the issue between Emily and Mark near the end, it was a created problem for the sake of the plotline and not really a plausible "real life" problem. Other than that, loved Jackie Lau's writing style. I will most definitely pick up another of her books.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Enjoyed very much!
June 1, 2024
Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Jackie Lau
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Atria Books and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Mark Chan this. Mark Chan that.
Writer and barista Emily Hung is tired of hearing about the great Mark Chan, the son of her parents’ friends. You’d think he single-handedly stopped climate change and ended child poverty from the way her mother raves about him. But in reality, he’s just a boring, sweater-vest-wearing engineer, and when they’re forced together at Emily’s sister’s wedding, it’s obvious he thinks he’s too good for her.
But now that Emily is her family’s last single daughter, her mother is fixated on getting her married and she has her sights on Mark. There’s only one solution, clearly : convince Mark to be in a fake relationship with her long enough to put an end to her mom’s meddling. He reluctantly agrees.
Unfortunately, lying isn’t enough. Family friends keep popping up at their supposed dates—including a bubble tea shop and cake-decorating class—so they’ll have to spend more time together to make their relationship look real. With each fake date, though, Emily realizes that Mark’s not quite what she assumed and maybe that argyle sweater isn’t so ugly after all…
My Thoughts: Emily’s family means well, however, they love to meddle in their children’s lives for the greater good. Her mother thinks Mark Chan is the perfect match for her, while her mother raves about Mark, Emily secretly cringes. Emily and Mark are forced together at her sister’s wedding and she gets the sense that he wants nothing to do with her. There is only one solution to keep her family from meddling in her personal affairs, fake dating Mark. Emily gets Mark to finally agree to fake date her. Her family knowing they are “dating�� is not enough, they pop in at their various outings together, so they have to spend more time together to fool her family. Each time Emily is with Mark, she gets a different picture of who he actually is. Maybe there is something there after all… This follows the tropes of family pressure/meddling and fake dating.
The first half of the story is told from Emily’s POV and the second half of the story includes Mark’s POV. I would have liked to have him earlier in the story to understand the inner dialogue of what he was thinking and feeling. The first half of the story was a slow burn while it built the characters and delved into the publishing world, and the second half of the book moved at a faster past with the relationship blossoming. While I have never been to Canada, the way the author details Canada in the storyline, the sights, sayings, scenery, really made me feel like I was there. While Emily’s mother loved to meddle in her life, I believe it was done from a good place. The family dynamics were refreshing on both sides.
Emily was indecisive, sometimes made questionable decisions, and was infuriating at times. Mark was the quiet, sneak up on you hero. He was charming, caring, and supportive. Some drunk texting, pressure from their mothers, and initial impressions, leads into a relationship that they did not expect. The characters were well developed, had depth, witty banter, chemistry, and was really intriguing. The supporting characters were fabulous, especially, the meddling mother. The author’s writing style was complex, steamy, sweet, swoony, and engaging.
This was a lighthearted, refreshing, cute romantic read. I loved the family dynamics the most. While I would like to have some POV from Mark early one, with his internal diaglogue. I felt like this was a fun, entertaining read that I enjoyed. I would recommend to other readers.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Jackie Lau
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Atria Books and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Mark Chan this. Mark Chan that.
Writer and barista Emily Hung is tired of hearing about the great Mark Chan, the son of her parents’ friends. You’d think he single-handedly stopped climate change and ended child poverty from the way her mother raves about him. But in reality, he’s just a boring, sweater-vest-wearing engineer, and when they’re forced together at Emily’s sister’s wedding, it’s obvious he thinks he’s too good for her.
But now that Emily is her family’s last single daughter, her mother is fixated on getting her married and she has her sights on Mark. There’s only one solution, clearly : convince Mark to be in a fake relationship with her long enough to put an end to her mom’s meddling. He reluctantly agrees.
Unfortunately, lying isn’t enough. Family friends keep popping up at their supposed dates—including a bubble tea shop and cake-decorating class—so they’ll have to spend more time together to make their relationship look real. With each fake date, though, Emily realizes that Mark’s not quite what she assumed and maybe that argyle sweater isn’t so ugly after all…
My Thoughts: Emily’s family means well, however, they love to meddle in their children’s lives for the greater good. Her mother thinks Mark Chan is the perfect match for her, while her mother raves about Mark, Emily secretly cringes. Emily and Mark are forced together at her sister’s wedding and she gets the sense that he wants nothing to do with her. There is only one solution to keep her family from meddling in her personal affairs, fake dating Mark. Emily gets Mark to finally agree to fake date her. Her family knowing they are “dating�� is not enough, they pop in at their various outings together, so they have to spend more time together to fool her family. Each time Emily is with Mark, she gets a different picture of who he actually is. Maybe there is something there after all… This follows the tropes of family pressure/meddling and fake dating.
The first half of the story is told from Emily’s POV and the second half of the story includes Mark’s POV. I would have liked to have him earlier in the story to understand the inner dialogue of what he was thinking and feeling. The first half of the story was a slow burn while it built the characters and delved into the publishing world, and the second half of the book moved at a faster past with the relationship blossoming. While I have never been to Canada, the way the author details Canada in the storyline, the sights, sayings, scenery, really made me feel like I was there. While Emily’s mother loved to meddle in her life, I believe it was done from a good place. The family dynamics were refreshing on both sides.
Emily was indecisive, sometimes made questionable decisions, and was infuriating at times. Mark was the quiet, sneak up on you hero. He was charming, caring, and supportive. Some drunk texting, pressure from their mothers, and initial impressions, leads into a relationship that they did not expect. The characters were well developed, had depth, witty banter, chemistry, and was really intriguing. The supporting characters were fabulous, especially, the meddling mother. The author’s writing style was complex, steamy, sweet, swoony, and engaging.
This was a lighthearted, refreshing, cute romantic read. I loved the family dynamics the most. While I would like to have some POV from Mark early one, with his internal diaglogue. I felt like this was a fun, entertaining read that I enjoyed. I would recommend to other readers.
May 24, 2024
4 stars!
"Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie" is another hit for Jackie Lau! I loved this 30-something fake dating romance between Emily and Mark. Emily's mother wants her to get married so badly. Emily is the oldest of five daughters, and all of her younger siblings are established, married, and/or have kids. Her mother has her sights set on Mark for her. Emily thinks Mark is uptight at first and judges him unfairly, but he's really just reserved and a bit quiet. They agree to fake date to get their parents off their backs. The more they get to know one another, the more they see they were wrong about each other. False feelings eventually lead to real ones, and Emily cannot fathom falling for someone her mother picked for her. Like in many of Lau's other books, she infuses some much-needed humor with the romance and sneaky dating shenanigans. There is also a hefty dose of family troubles and the emotions they bring, courtesy of her nosy mother and meddling sisters who always assume their time is more valuable than Emily's simply because she is a barista by day and a struggling author by night. I enjoyed this book for the most part, though I do think that Emily was a bit too judgy at first. She and Mark seem diametrically opposed to one another, so it seems as if her mother has chosen poorly for her... until it's obvious that they are perfect together and everything clicks into place. Eventually, when their feelings become too big to keep lying about, they have to figure out how to handle the ensuing, chaotic family dynamic they have put themselves in. I will admit, I was a little taken aback when the book randomly shifts into Mark's perspective halfway through the book. I do like dual POVs, but I found it a little jarring to all of a sudden be taken into Mark's thought process out of nowhere, once we had finally established a rapport with Emily. Even when we get Mark's POV, I do think his character could have been a bit stronger. I feel like there are only one or two noteworthy things about him (he has a cat, and he wears sweater vests). Nevertheless, I did like this book! I think it's a cute, fast read, and I have a hunch mostly everyone will enjoy it. I loved the self-deprecating humor Lau always brings to her novels. She also has a lot to say about aging (how things got more expensive, how people get paid less, how some don't see certain professions as actual work, how it's insane that there is a certain time when you "should be married"), as well as how ridiculous it is for media and the like to blame millennials for any of the issues facing them right now (when we really have Ronny Reagan to thank for that!). A great read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Jackie Lau, Atria Books, and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
"Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie" is another hit for Jackie Lau! I loved this 30-something fake dating romance between Emily and Mark. Emily's mother wants her to get married so badly. Emily is the oldest of five daughters, and all of her younger siblings are established, married, and/or have kids. Her mother has her sights set on Mark for her. Emily thinks Mark is uptight at first and judges him unfairly, but he's really just reserved and a bit quiet. They agree to fake date to get their parents off their backs. The more they get to know one another, the more they see they were wrong about each other. False feelings eventually lead to real ones, and Emily cannot fathom falling for someone her mother picked for her. Like in many of Lau's other books, she infuses some much-needed humor with the romance and sneaky dating shenanigans. There is also a hefty dose of family troubles and the emotions they bring, courtesy of her nosy mother and meddling sisters who always assume their time is more valuable than Emily's simply because she is a barista by day and a struggling author by night. I enjoyed this book for the most part, though I do think that Emily was a bit too judgy at first. She and Mark seem diametrically opposed to one another, so it seems as if her mother has chosen poorly for her... until it's obvious that they are perfect together and everything clicks into place. Eventually, when their feelings become too big to keep lying about, they have to figure out how to handle the ensuing, chaotic family dynamic they have put themselves in. I will admit, I was a little taken aback when the book randomly shifts into Mark's perspective halfway through the book. I do like dual POVs, but I found it a little jarring to all of a sudden be taken into Mark's thought process out of nowhere, once we had finally established a rapport with Emily. Even when we get Mark's POV, I do think his character could have been a bit stronger. I feel like there are only one or two noteworthy things about him (he has a cat, and he wears sweater vests). Nevertheless, I did like this book! I think it's a cute, fast read, and I have a hunch mostly everyone will enjoy it. I loved the self-deprecating humor Lau always brings to her novels. She also has a lot to say about aging (how things got more expensive, how people get paid less, how some don't see certain professions as actual work, how it's insane that there is a certain time when you "should be married"), as well as how ridiculous it is for media and the like to blame millennials for any of the issues facing them right now (when we really have Ronny Reagan to thank for that!). A great read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Jackie Lau, Atria Books, and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
May 7, 2024
3.5 ⭐
🥧 Fake dating
🥧 Pride and prejudice retelling
🥧 MEDDLING mother
🥧 Author FMC
🥧 Millennial
🥧 Slow burn
🥧 Single pov for half/dual for half
First I had no idea this was a Pride and prejudice retelling and I LOVED that aspect.
I really liked our MMC as well.
However I struggled with our FMC, especially the first half when we only had her POV. I am always ok with a slow burn story line but the first half was just slow in general. We didn't know much about the MMC at all until that second half. When the fake dating kicked in things sped up a bit more. I absolutely loved the *it's not fake anymore* moment and how our MMC wouldn't allow there to be any miscommunication.
Thank you for this arc all thoughts and opinions are my own.
🥧 Fake dating
🥧 Pride and prejudice retelling
🥧 MEDDLING mother
🥧 Author FMC
🥧 Millennial
🥧 Slow burn
🥧 Single pov for half/dual for half
First I had no idea this was a Pride and prejudice retelling and I LOVED that aspect.
I really liked our MMC as well.
However I struggled with our FMC, especially the first half when we only had her POV. I am always ok with a slow burn story line but the first half was just slow in general. We didn't know much about the MMC at all until that second half. When the fake dating kicked in things sped up a bit more. I absolutely loved the *it's not fake anymore* moment and how our MMC wouldn't allow there to be any miscommunication.
Thank you for this arc all thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 9, 2024
TITLE: LOVE LIES AND CHERRY PIE
AUTHOR: JACKIE LAU
PUB DATE: 05.07.2024
Mark Chan this. Mark Chan that.
Writer and barista Emily Hung is tired of hearing about the great Mark Chan, the son of her parents’ friends. Now that Emily is her family’s last single daughter, her mother is fixated on getting her married and she has her sights on Mark. There’s only one solution, clearly: convince Mark to be in a fake relationship with her long enough to put an end to her mom’s meddling. He reluctantly agrees. With each fake date, though, Emily realizes that Mark’s not quite what she assumed and maybe that argyle sweater isn’t so ugly after all…
THOUGHTS:
I really enjoyed Donut Fall in Love when I read my first Jackie Lau book a few years ago, and I was so excited for this charming new romcom, where family meddling leads to an opposites attract fake dating situation I can’t get enough of. I love the way the premise is set up that leads to a more complex story and deep family dynamics not much different from any one of ours that we can all relate to. It’s a heartwarming and great moments of laughter and swooning.
AUTHOR: JACKIE LAU
PUB DATE: 05.07.2024
Mark Chan this. Mark Chan that.
Writer and barista Emily Hung is tired of hearing about the great Mark Chan, the son of her parents’ friends. Now that Emily is her family’s last single daughter, her mother is fixated on getting her married and she has her sights on Mark. There’s only one solution, clearly: convince Mark to be in a fake relationship with her long enough to put an end to her mom’s meddling. He reluctantly agrees. With each fake date, though, Emily realizes that Mark’s not quite what she assumed and maybe that argyle sweater isn’t so ugly after all…
THOUGHTS:
I really enjoyed Donut Fall in Love when I read my first Jackie Lau book a few years ago, and I was so excited for this charming new romcom, where family meddling leads to an opposites attract fake dating situation I can’t get enough of. I love the way the premise is set up that leads to a more complex story and deep family dynamics not much different from any one of ours that we can all relate to. It’s a heartwarming and great moments of laughter and swooning.
May 1, 2024
A new favorite from Canadian author Jackie Lau! This enemies to lovers, fake dating, dual POV, Pride & Prejudice retelling was utterly charming and unputdownable!! I loved all the family drama, the Bridget Jones/Jane Austen vibes and the chemistry between writer Emily and staid, buttoned up Mark, whom Emily's mother tries to set her up with.
While Emily and Mark get off to a rocky start at Emily's sister's wedding, they eventually make a fake dating agreement to make their mothers happy and start to develop real feelings. The first half of the book is strictly Emily's POV but I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into Mark's thoughts when he gets some of his own chapters in the second half.
Highly recommended and perfect for fans of authors like Jayci Lee or Sonali Dev. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and physical ARC copy that I was lucky enough to get signed by the author. If you're looking for a light-hearted read featuring a loveable Asian Canadian Toronto family with a little Sex in the City vibes, definitely give this one a chance!
Steam level: open door, mild details
While Emily and Mark get off to a rocky start at Emily's sister's wedding, they eventually make a fake dating agreement to make their mothers happy and start to develop real feelings. The first half of the book is strictly Emily's POV but I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into Mark's thoughts when he gets some of his own chapters in the second half.
Highly recommended and perfect for fans of authors like Jayci Lee or Sonali Dev. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and physical ARC copy that I was lucky enough to get signed by the author. If you're looking for a light-hearted read featuring a loveable Asian Canadian Toronto family with a little Sex in the City vibes, definitely give this one a chance!
Steam level: open door, mild details
May 17, 2024
this was not for me.
Emily Hung has a problem; her mother is continuously trying to set up her and Mark Chan, and so Emily designed a plan to fake date Mark to get her mother off her back.
i truly had to push myself to finish it, and nearing the end, i was mostly skimming the words. the main issue i had with this book was the writing and characterization. i truly could not stand Emily (Mark was fine, but by the time his pov was introduced, i was already so uninterested in the entire plot), and a significant reason why i could not stand her was the writing of her character. i did not feel like she was a thirty-three-year-old character; i often found her narration immature, childish, and just plain goofy. a pet peeve of mine for books is the excessive use of exclamation points, and this book definitely had that, especially in the context of Emily's dialogue and inner thoughts. Emily's character was unlikable, rude, and self-righteous.
thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this e-arc!!
[1.5 stars]
Emily Hung has a problem; her mother is continuously trying to set up her and Mark Chan, and so Emily designed a plan to fake date Mark to get her mother off her back.
i truly had to push myself to finish it, and nearing the end, i was mostly skimming the words. the main issue i had with this book was the writing and characterization. i truly could not stand Emily (Mark was fine, but by the time his pov was introduced, i was already so uninterested in the entire plot), and a significant reason why i could not stand her was the writing of her character. i did not feel like she was a thirty-three-year-old character; i often found her narration immature, childish, and just plain goofy. a pet peeve of mine for books is the excessive use of exclamation points, and this book definitely had that, especially in the context of Emily's dialogue and inner thoughts. Emily's character was unlikable, rude, and self-righteous.
thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this e-arc!!
[1.5 stars]
January 13, 2025
The first 25% of this book was soooo slow with almost no romance and way too much mom-meddling.
April 29, 2024
This fake-dating romance sparkles, with plenty of humor, great chemistry, and interesting takes on mother-daughter relationships and family expectations. The central romance is quite cute, and I enjoyed the main characters' dynamic very much. A fast, engaging, make-you-laugh treat.
Want to read
March 13, 2024Me, the fake dating romcom stan. Obsessed with slow burn, banter, tension, and forced proximity 🤝 this book
Thank you for the arc Simon & Schuster🍒🥧. I will eat this UP😏
Thank you for the arc Simon & Schuster🍒🥧. I will eat this UP😏
November 8, 2025
The most non-autistic autistic coded characters. Getting that representation in without even trying 🙂↕️🙂↕️
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