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franticvampirereads · 3 months

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This was such a sweet story! I loved the focus on family, cooking, and finding happiness is unexpected places. I loved Dylan, he was so kind. Especially when he was dealing with an asshole customer or his boyfriends (very rich and slightly obnoxious) family. And Theo, the fake date/boyfriend was such a sweetheart. I loved that he just wanted to hangout and be around Dylan and his family. I also loved how close Dylan’s family was and that they actually acted like a family with all the teasing and jokes and working together. It was just so nice to see in a YA book!

Honestly, I think this is gonna be one of my favorite books I’ve read this year! It felt like home, even though I’ve never been to Brooklyn or had the chance to eat some of the foods mentioned in the story. It was just that good. Fake Dates And Mooncakes is getting five out of five stars!

Reading Challenge Prompt Fills:

Alphabet challenge: F

Romance Readathon: a romance with one of the colors of a sun on the cover (orange), a romance set in your favorite season, a romance by a BIPOC author

#fake dates and mooncakes #book review #booklr #rr2024 #reading #books #read #book #bookish #bookworm #lgbtq+ books #queer books #contemporary romance #contemporary ya #romance books #mm romance #ya books

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bibliophilecats · 8 months

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Currently reading: Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

#fake dates and mooncakes #sher lee #currently reading #library book

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slaughter-books · 4 months

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Day 16: JOMPBPC: Favourite Genre

I love contemporaries and I love rainbow book stacks! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🩷

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richincolor · 1 year

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New Releases

This week's an exciting one for new YA books! Quite a few of these books coming out tomorrow are at the very top of my must-read pile, like Transmogrify! and Venom & Vow. What's on your TBR?

Transmogrify!: 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic edited by g. haron davis Transness is as varied and colorful as magic can be. In Transmogrify!, you’ll embark on fourteen different adventures alongside unforgettable characters who embody many different genders and expressions and experiences—because magic is for everyone, and that is cause for celebration.

Featuring stories from: AR Capetta and Cory McCarthy g. haron davis Mason Deaver Jonathan Lenore Kastin Emery Lee Saundra Mitchell Cam Montgomery Ash Nouveau Sonora Reyes Renee Reynolds Dove Salvatierra Ayida Shonibar Francesca Tacchi Nik Traxler

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee 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?

Hurt You by Marie Myung-Ok Lee

Moving beyond the quasi-fraternal bond of the unforgettable George and Lenny from Of Mice and Men, Hurt You explores the actual sibling bond of Georgia and Leonardo da Vinci Daewoo Kim, who has an unnamed neurological disability that resembles autism. The themes of race, disability, and class spin themselves out in a suburban high school where the Kim family has moved in order to access better services for Leonardo. Suddenly unmoored from the familiar, including the support of her Aunt Clara, Georgia struggles to find her place in an Asian-majority school where whites still dominate culturally, and she finds herself feeling not Korean “enough.” Her one pole star is her commitment to her brother, a loyalty that finds itself at odds with her immigrant parents’ dreams for her, and an ableist, racist society that may bring violence to Leonardo despite her efforts to keep him safe.

Hurt You is a deep exploration of family, society, and the bond between siblings and reflects the reality that people with intellectual disabilities are far more likely to be the victim of a violent crime, not the perpetrator.

Last Canto for the Dead (Outlaw Saints #2) by Daniel José Older

Two gods-turned-teenagers wage simultaneous battles in the Caribbean and Brooklyn in this sequel to Ballad & Dagger.

Healer. Destroyer. Creator. Mateo Matisse and Chela Hidalgo are not just two teenagers in love–they’re powerful gods in human form. Powerful enough to have saved their Brooklyn diaspora community from the wrath of an ancient enemy and to have raised their once-sunken native island of San Madrigal from the sea. But soon they discover that their problems are far from over. On the shores of San Madrigal, two creature armies are battling for survival. And on the streets of Brooklyn, a once tight-knit community is divided, with two sides at each other’s throats. But worst of all, a heartbreaking prophecy rips these two young lovers apart, sending Mateo back to the city, where cops are now patrolling the streets, and keeping Chela tethered to the island, where chaos and death lurk around every corner.

Healer. Destroyer. Creator. As gods, their powers know no limits. But as teenagers–separated, desperate, grieving–what will become of them? And what will become of their people? Join their battle and witness their love in this thrilling conclusion to the epic saga that began with BALLAD & DAGGER.

Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore and Elliott McLemore Keep your enemy closer. Cade McKenna is a transgender prince who’s doubling for his brother. Valencia Palafox is a young dama attending the future queen of Eliana. Gael Palma is the infamous boy assassin Cade has vowed to protect. Patrick McKenna is the reluctant heir to a kingdom, and the prince Gael has vowed to destroy.

Cade doesn’t know that Gael and Valencia are the same person. Valencia doesn’t know that every time she thinks she’s fighting Patrick, she’s fighting Cade. And when Cade and Valencia blame each other for a devastating enchantment that takes both their families, neither of them realizes that they have far more dangerous enemies.

Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra Graduation is only a few months away, and so far Rubi Ramos’s recipe for success is on track.

*Step 1: Get into the prestigious Alma University. *Step 2: Become incredibly successful lawyer. But when Alma waitlists Rubi’s application, her plan is in jeopardy. Her parents–especially her mom, AKA the boss–have wanted this for her for years. In order to get off the waitlist without her parents knowing, she needs math tutoring from surfer-hottie math genius Ryan, lead the debate team to a championship–and remember the final step of the recipe.

*Step 3: Never break the ban on baking. Rubi has always been obsessed with baking, daydreaming up new concoctions and taking shifts at her parents’ celebrated bakery. But her mother dismisses baking as a distraction–her parents didn’t leave Cuba so she could bake just like them.

But some recipes are begging to be tampered with… When the First Annual Bake Off comes to town, Rubi’s passion for baking goes from subtle simmer to full boil. She’s not sure if she has what it takes to become OC’s best amateur baker, and there’s only one way to find out–even though it means rejecting the ban on baking, and by extension, her parents. But life is what you bake it, and now Rubi must differentiate between the responsibility of unfulfilled dreams she holds, and finding the path she’s meant for.

As Long As We’re Together by Brianna Peppins A heartstring-tugging, uplifting, modern spin on Party of Five — a love letter to family, hope, and finding strength in unexpected places.

Even though she has six siblings, sixteen-year-old Novah still knows what it’s like to feel lonely. Her friends never remember to invite her anywhere because they assume Novah will be too busy overseeing dinner, baths, and homework — tasks that fall to her when her parents are at work. She wouldn’t mind it so much if her “perfect” older sister, Ariana, wasn’t always excused from helping out. She’s the star of the volleyball team, and their parents don’t want anything to jeopardize the scholarships she’ll need to become the first member of their family to attend college.

Needless to say, Novah feels like she’s been given a raw deal, especially when she’s forced to cancel a maybe-date with her crush, Hailee. Then one terrible night, their parents don’t make it back home. A car accident takes their lives and leaves seven heartbroken kids on their own. The Wilkinson siblings have no grandparents, no aunts or uncles. Since Ariana has just turned eighteen, she manages to convince the judge to give her temporary custody. If she can keep her family running smoothly, they’ll get to stay in their home. If not, they’ll be placed into foster care.

Novah will do whatever it takes to keep her family together but finds herself in a constant power struggle when Ariana refuses to take her advice, even once it becomes clear that they are all in way over their heads. Will Novah find her voice and summon the strength to do the impossible? Or will she be forced to say the hardest goodbyes of all?

#transmogrify!#fake dates and mooncakes #ya lit #new releases

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vkelleyart · 1 year

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FAKE DATES & MOONCAKES Preorder Campaign 🥮💕

SO excited to share this announcement with you all on Sher Lee’s behalf. Sher has just launched the preorder campaign for their queer Asian YA romcom, FAKE DATES AND MOONCAKES with an opportunity to get free swag by the incomparable @peachesobviously and me! <3

From Goodreads:

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?

To get your FDAM goodies, all you need to do is follow Sher Lee on EITHER her Twitter account or her Instagram at @sherleeauthor, retweet or story-share the preorder campaign post with the image above, preorder her book FAKE DATES & MOONCAKES at any bookseller, then fill out the form at bit.ly/fdampreorder!

It’s open worldwide, but there are only 200 packages with the prints, stickers and bookplate, so don’t wait too long!

Thanks so much to Sher Lee for the honor of being commissioned in support of this beautiful book. I loved it from start to finish and can’t wait for you all to meet Dylan Tang and Theo Somers in a few months!

#commissions #preorder campaign #Sher Lee #Fake Dates and Mooncakes

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bi4bihankking · 3 months

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Scum Villain Self Saving System Summary:

Half-demon Luo Binghe rose from humble beginnings and a tortured past to become unrivaled in strength and beauty. With his dominion over both the Human and Demon Realms and his hundreds-strong harem, he is truly the most powerful protagonist...in a trashy webnovel series!

At least, that's what Shen Yuan believes as he finishes reading the final chapter in Proud Immortal Demon Way. But when a bout of rage leads to his sudden death, Shen Yuan is reborn into the world of the novel in the body of Shen Qingqiu--the beautiful but cruel teacher of a young Luo Binghe. While Shen Qingqiu may have the incredible power of a cultivator, he is destined to be horrifically punished for crimes against the protagonist.

The new Shen Qingqiu now has only one course of action: get into Luo Binghe's good graces before the young man's rise to power or suffer the awful fate of a true scum villain!

Fake Dates and Mooncakes Summary:

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 need 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?

#scum villian self saving system #scum villain #svsss #mo xiang tong xiu #mxtx #fake dates and mooncakes #sher lee #danmei #lgbt books #lgbt literature #queer books #queer literature #lgbtqia #poll

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tokillabookworm · 5 months

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"Grief has a way of sneaking up on you when you're least expecting it. A song, a phrase, a scent...then you're falling into an empty space inside that you thought you'd patched. That you thought could bear the weight." ~Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

This was a cute short read, it reminded me of Crazy Rich Asian but gayer🥰🏳️‍🌈. Highly recommend this👍4/5.

#booklr #fake dates and mooncakes #bibliophile #bookish #lgbtq books

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luxaofhesperides · 5 days

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DYLAN & THEO

"It was worth it." A kaleidoscope of emotions wheels in Theo's eyes. "What you told my dad just now... you didn't give me a fraction of what I have, Dylan." His voice cracks a little. "You gave me a whole missing piece."

from Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

#fake dates and mooncakes #sher lee #yalit #yalitedit #bookedit #lgbtqb #lgbtq books #my edit #this book was so cute and fun. if u like queer romances and crazy rich asians and food you need to read this

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aurorawest · 4 months

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Reading update

The Haunting Season: Ghostly Tales for Long Winter Nights - 5/5 stars

Again, bought this solely for Natasha Pulley's story, The Eel Singers, which is about Thaniel and Mori from The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. It's set between Watchmaker and The Lost Future of Pepperharrow. I loved it, obviously. The rest of the stories were also really good—a few of them were genuinely really disturbing.

Teacher of the Year by MA Wardell - 3.75/5 stars

This is the first book in Wardell's Teachers in Love series (the second being Mistletoe & Mishigas, which I read last week). I didn't like this one as much, though tbh I'm chalking that up to the fact that it's Wardell's first novel. He uses some very strange descriptors sometimes that really throw me off ('matte' was used once to describe dialogue, which I still can't really make sense of). I also got kind of frustrated with Marvin's freakouts over Olan's alcoholism—not really the fact that they happened, but just like...the pacing of them, I guess? After it happened once, it didn't really feel like there was any escalation of that conflict, just sort of the same conflict happening repeatedly.

That said, I did like the book! The characters are all great, and I really loved how Marvin has to take responsibility for how he can't move on from how his mother's alcoholism affected him, and how he's actually quite unfair to his mother and Olan when they both take recovery incredibly seriously. There was a nuance to that that felt really refreshing.

Fallow by Jordan L Hawk - 4.5/5 stars

Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton - 3.5/5 stars

Only the Brightest Stars by Andrew Grey - 3.25/5 stars

Beautiful Undone by Melissa Polk - 3.5/5 stars

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee - 5/5 stars

Adorable book and read it made me so hungry. I need to try a mooncake next fall.

Keeping Christmas: Yuletide Traditions in Norway and the New Land by Kathleen Stokker - 5/5 stars

I've had this sitting around for a few years now and figured I should read it around Christmas. It was super interesting—not only did I learn a lot about Norwegian Christmas traditions, I actually learned a lot about American Christmas traditions. Also it gave me an idea for a Christmas ghost story/romance.

The Winter Knight by Jes Battis - 5/5 stars

This book had a dreamy quality to it that was perfect for the subject matter. This is a murder mystery and kinda/sorta a retelling of Gawain and the Green Knight...I think? It's been way too many years since I've read Gawain and the Green Knight. The premise is that all the characters of Camelot are reincarnated over and over and stuck living out their myth cycles.

Death by Silver by Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold - 5/5 stars

Soooo much yearning. Two school friends reconnect over a murder case. Both of them think they're the only one in love with the other. If you're a Freya Marske or KJ Charles fan, this is very much up your alley.

Doc by Mary Doria Russell - 4.25/5 stars

The King's Delight by Sarah Honey - DNF at pg 72

#the haunting season #the eel singers #natasha pulley #teacher of the year #ma wardell #fake dates and mooncakes #sher lee #keeping christmas: yuletide traditions in norway and the new land #kathleen stokker #the winter knight #jes battis #death by silver #melissa scott #amy griswold #reading tag

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stardustandrockets · 10 months

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What's a trope that will almost always get you to read a book?

For me, it's fake dating. I absolutely love the it's-just-a-favor that turns into Real Feelings™. I eat that shit up!

I knew I was going to love Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee because it's in the title. And it didn't disappoint. In this Crazy Rich Asians meets Heartstopper YA rom-com, Dylan and Theo are absolutely precious and I would protect them both with my life! There's baking, swoony moments, rediscovering lost family mooncake recipes, learning about your heritage, and so many food references that will have you craving xiao long bao the entire book. Did I mention there's also a corgi named Clover?

If you're a fan of fake dating like I am, I highly recommend this wonderful debut by Sher Lee!

#fake dates and mooncakes #fdam #sher lee #fake dating #asian american #chinese american #mooncakes #baking competition #chinese heritage #xiao long bao #lgbtq reads #lgbtqia #queer book recs #read with pride #read queer all year #stardust book recs #stardust reviews books #stardustandrockets

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franticvampirereads · 2 months

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February has been such a good reading month! I read so many romance books and that makes me so happy. Here’s what I read this month:

Omega’s Pretend Mate 4⭐️ {review}

Fake Dates and Mooncakes 5⭐️ {review}

Omega’s Midlife Love 4⭐️ {review}

F*ck and Fall In Love DNF @ 20%

Omega’s Tempting Fate 4⭐️ {review}

Magic Steps 4.5⭐️ {review}

Omega’s Secret Baby 3.75⭐️ {review}

Glass Syndrome 3⭐️ {review}

Squire 5⭐️ {review}

Omega’s Reluctant Mate 4⭐️ {review}

Take A Hint Dani Brown -currently reading

Headcase -currently reading

My favorite books this month were Squire and Fake Dates and Mooncakes! 😊

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aroaessidhe · 6 months

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2023 reads / storygraph

Fake Dates and Mooncakes

upper-YA mlm romance

follows a Singaporean Chinese American boy who lives with his aunt & cousins who run a struggling takeout in Brooklyn

he’s preparing to enter a mooncake contest in memory of his mother, in hopes to win some money & attention for their business

when he meets a rich boy on a delivery who comes back the next day to apologise about his rude friend, he quickly gets a crush, and ends up as his fake date to a big family wedding

#Fake Dates and Mooncakes #aroaessidhe 2023 reads #this was fun I guess??#was more dramatic than I was expecting (like saving someone from drowning kind of thing lmao)#(there’s a little bit of miscommunication drama in the middle but it doesn’t last TOO long) (though it felt unnecesary)#enjoyed listening to it. it was a bit silly sometimes.#the narration is kinda monotonous ngl. or maybe it was just really slow - I sped it up more than my usual and it stopped annoying me as muc #I did keep thinking it was adult not YA - I guess just the things that come with Rich Love Interest are less common in YA….#BUT it didn’t necessarily read as an adult book forced into a YA skin yknow #why was the LI still friends with his shitty friend. like he’s just There lmao #I also assumed the author was a dude which I just found out is not the case haha

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slaughter-books · 5 months

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Day 30: JOMPBPC: Read In November

My November, 2023 reading wrap-up! 💜

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richincolor · 1 year

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Most Anticipated Reads of May 2023

I know I say this every time I write about my TBR, but holy crap -- there is so much good stuff coming out in the next month or so. I am not kidding! Have you seen it? Take a peek at our Release Calendar if you don't believe me. It was super hard to pick what is at the very top of my to-read pile, but I did indeed manage to pull it off. So here is what I'm really looking forward to reading in May:

Ander & Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa -- Out May 2

Aristotle and Dante meets The Hate U Give meets The Sun Is Also A Star: A stunning YA contemporary love story about a Mexican-American teen who falls in love with an undocumented Mexican boy. Finding home. Falling in love. Fighting to belong.

The Santos Vista neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas, is all Ander Martínez has ever known. The smell of pan dulce. The mixture of Spanish and English filling the streets. And, especially their job at their family's taquería. It's the place that has inspired Ander as a muralist, and, as they get ready to leave for art school, it's all of these things that give them hesitancy. That give them the thought, are they ready to leave it all behind?

To keep Ander from becoming complacent during their gap year, their family "fires" them so they can transition from restaurant life to focusing on their murals and prepare for college. That is, until they meet Santiago López Alvarado, the hot new waiter. Falling for each other becomes as natural as breathing. Through Santi's eyes, Ander starts to understand who they are and want to be as an artist, and Ander becomes Santi's first steps toward making Santos Vista and the United States feel like home. Until ICE agents come for Santi, and Ander realizes how fragile that sense of home is. How love can only hold on so long when the whole world is against them. And when, eventually, the world starts to win.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee -- Out May 16

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?

Transmogrify!: 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic by g. haron davis -- Out May 16

Perfect for fans of All Out and Cemetery Boys, this anthology claims a seat at the table of fantasy literature for trans and gender nonconforming stories.

Transness is as varied and colorful as magic can be. In Transmogrify!, you’ll embark on fourteen different adventures alongside unforgettable characters who embody many different genders and expressions and experiences—because magic is for everyone, and that is cause for celebration.

Featuring stories from: AR Capetta and Cory McCarthy g. haron davis Mason Deaver Jonathan Lenore Kastin Emery Lee Saundra Mitchell Cam Montgomery Ash Nouveau Sonora Reyes Renee Reynolds Dove Salvatierra Ayida Shonibar Francesca Tacchi Nik Traxler

#long post #transmogrify!#fake dates and mooncakes #Ander & Santi Were Here

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brightbeautifulthings · 5 days

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Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

"Grief has a way of sneaking up on you when you're least expecting it. A song, a phrase, a scent ... then you're falling into an empty space inside that you thought you'd patched. That you thought could bear the weight."

Year Read: 2024

Rating: 3/5

About: Dylan is determined to win the Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake competition to help save his aunt's failing Chinese takeout. He doesn't have time to fall for someone like Theo, a rich, handsome customer who's worlds apart. When Theo convinces Dylan to be his fake date at an elaborate wedding in the Hamptons, there are sparks of real feelings-- but Theo's distant father will do anything to keep them apart. Trigger warnings: parent death, cancer, drowning, classism.

Thoughts: I was looking for an easy, fluffy queer romance, and that's exactly what I got with this book. There aren't a lot of twists or surprises, nor does there need to be, just a handful of cute tropes popular to romance novels and fanfiction: fake dating (obviously), bed sharing, miscommunication, grand gestures, etc. The writing is passable but doesn't stand out, and despite its short length, the pacing is a bit slow at times, with more focus on what the characters are wearing than advancing the plot. Everything is wrapped up a little too neat and quick at the end, but I'm not going to complain about the happiest possible ending.

The characters are pleasant enough, and Dylan feels quite well-rounded with his dedication to his family and the takeout, his grief over losing his mother, and his goal of perfecting his grandmother's lost mooncake recipe. Theo is a bit blander as the handsome, charming rich boy with daddy issues, but I tend to let that go in LGBTQ+ romances. They deserve all the wish-fulfillment of straight romances. My favorite part of the novel was the crash course in Chinese culture and cuisine we get from Dylan, and it's a lot of fun learning about the different traditions and daydreaming about tasting mooncakes. Fans of the genre will find a lot to like about it.

#book review #sher lee #fake dates and mooncakes #ya romance #lgbtq fiction #3/5 #rating: 3/5 #2024

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mercerislandbooks · 9 months

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Quick Takes: Recent Romance Reads

It's that time of year again! The 5th annual Bookstore Romance Day is almost upon us. Saturday, August 19th will be full of great romances and equally great giveaways and deals, both from us and from our audiobook partners at Libro.fm. You can sign up for free virtual panels featuring a variety of topics and amazing romance authors, or stop by the store for fun displays of romances of all sorts. In case you want to get a head start on some great recommendations, a few of our staff have highlighted favorite recent romance reads below!

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

Recommended by Lori

Florist Annie Walker is the youngest, sweetest sister of four. Orphaned at an early age, Annie's grown up under the protective wing of her older brother and two older sisters, not to mention the close-knit (and nosy) population of Rome, Kentucky. But now Annie would really like to find "the one," settle down, and have a family. That would fill the emptiness that nothing else seems to satisfy, right? Except Annie's social anxiety makes dating a nightmare, and when her most recent date fakes an emergency to ditch her, Annie is ready to give it all up. Enter tattooed bodyguard Will Griffin, back in town to guard Annie's future sister-in-law, pop star Amelia. Will agrees to be Annie's dating coach, just to give her tips and practice with the things that seem so hard when she's in the middle of a date. Unsurprisingly, the more time Annie and Will spend together, the closer they become, and the more Annie wonders what she's going to do when Will's assignment with Amelia is over. Annie is so delightful as a character, trying to break out of the box her siblings, and everyone in the town have put her in -- and with Will she is able to explore aspects of her personality that she hasn't shown anyone else. Will, of course, has his own past to contend with, and his own hangups to overcome. I listened to the audiobook on this one, and the dual narration really brought the novel to life. As I say in my rec card, "the most adorable small-town romance."

With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson

Recommended by Lillian

Even though I think there is too much talk about tropes these days, it does work as a quick way to sum up a story. With Love, From Cold World seems like it would be easy to categorize. It's an Enemies to Lovers, workplace romance. The author ticks a few classic Rom-Com boxes - stuck in the office overnight together, beach trip sunscreen application, the setting is an almost too-quirky Winter-themed amusement park in Florida called Cold World. But hold on - there's more going on here that just that. Every layer starting with something as simple as the cover and continuing on to the emotions of the main characters is handled with a little more thought and a little less cookie-cutter storytelling. Lauren is a buttoned-up accountant, but getting her to open up and take risks for friendship and love didn't feel simple. Asa is a career Cold World employee who is not living up to his potential, but actually maybe he's doing great right where he is. There were moments I laughed, got choked up, and—of course—swooned. I found their getting together to be surprisingly touching. Definitely recommend for the romance reader as well as the romance-curious.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

Recommended by Becca

All Dylan Tang wants is to help keep his aunt's struggling Chinese takeout, Wok Warriors, afloat. He has a plan, too. Win the Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake competition—using his grandmother's unique blue mooncake recipe—and get Wok Warriors featured on a popular food television show. There are only two problems: 1) his aunt doesn't have the recipe, and 2) Theo Somers. After Dylan has an unfortunate run-in with Theo's best friend, Theo (wealthy, charming, and very attractive) tries to make it up to him by making a rather large donation to the takeout. Unable to refuse the needed money but not wanting to owe any favors, Dylan agrees to be Theo's fake date to a family wedding. But a weekend in the Hamptons surrounded by rich-people problems and having to contend with his growing attraction to Theo as they get to know each other might be more than he bargained for. Will sabotage, scandal, and stress get in the way of their budding relationship, or will Dylan learn the secret ingredients for both mooncakes and romance? Short, sweet, and a quick read, Fake Dates and Mooncakes was everything I wanted. Delicious food descriptions and a fake dating plot where they don't mess around too long saying, "Oh, it started as fake but now I have feelings for him and I can't act on them because we had an agreement!" (my least favorite part of the trope), took it over the top. Also, the cover art! I'm in love.

Long story short, next Saturday should be a lot of fun. Good vibes, good people, and good books. Come stop by and celebrate love and people who love love!

—Becca

#island books #becca oman #lori robinson #lillian welch #sher lee #fake dates and mooncakes #practice makes perfect #sarah adams #with love from cold world #alicia thompson #libro.fm #bookstore romance day #brd #romance #quick takes #events

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