A review by ancientbookseller
Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Fake Dates and Mooncakes is a gloriously self-indulgent meet-cute, combing imagery from Crazy Rich Asians and popular romance tropes (such as miscommunication) to create an easy read that's perfect for fans of the romance genre.

I highly recommend this to anyone after a fun, light-hearted read, or anyone in a bit of a reading slump. It's such a sweet, quick book, with little surprises but plenty in the way of food descriptions that will make you incredibly hungry, that I am looking forward to what the author writes next.

I would say however that the description likening it to Heartstopper feels not-quite correct: its true our main character is in high school (as is his love interest) but it does not centre around school life, coming-of-age, or some of the darker concepts presented in Oseman's later graphic novels, but instead focuses on characters who know who they are. This is to this book's credit, but besides a m/m main pairing, its parallels are minimal.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for this eARC in return for an honest review.