#Sher Lee

[immortalbutterflycos]

A Comprehensive List of all of the (Queer) books I've read since September 6th (as of September 28th):

Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens

Magic, chaos, a nonbinary protagonist, and a cursed rug that's a bit of a dick. (also I may or may not have bought this one in the first place because the two main characters reminded me of James and Regulus. Even after finishing it, I stand by that assessment lmao)

In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens

Pirates and Princes and Magic Oh My! Oh and magic. Did I mention magic? Because there's also magic.

So This is Ever After by F.T. Lukens

"And they were Soulmates!" (Oh my god they were soulmates...) but with the obligatory "I love him but he doesn't love me the same way" trope.

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey Mcquistion (I read it twice this month)

I don't think this one needs a description at this point. If you've seen the movie, I recommend the book. Both are fucking amazing, but there are just so many things that the movie couldn't do with the time frame it had to fit into. <3

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Fake dating so hard it becomes real. You know how it goes. ^.^

Simon vs. The Homo sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (I've read this one so many times ngl)

Not sure this needs a description, but this too, is better than the movie. Which I also love so so very much ^.^ &lt;3

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

Okay, this one made me emotional. I love it so much!

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune (book 1)

Flash Fire by TJ Klune (book 2)

Heat Wave by TJ Klune (book 3)

SUPERHEROES. FANFICTION. LESBIANS. (the lesbians are side characters but they're always a presence and I love them) AND SO MUCH ADHD THAT IT'S A SUPERPOWER ALL ON ITS OWN. I just finished this series like five minutes ago and I'm so obsessed!!! ToT I love them all so much!!!

(totally has nothing at all to do with the fact that the Dnd campaign I'm a part of is about our modern world but with mutants and magic and heroes and all that jazz~)

I loved every single one of these books so much and I highly recommend them to anyone looking for some really cute lgbtq romances!

#lgbtq #lgbtq community #lgbtq books #book reccomendation #we're here #we're queer #If you read any of these #please feel free to scream at me #ft lukens #tj klune #sher lee #becky albertalli #casey mcquiston #alexis hall #gay #gay books #queer books #queer romance #indie books #queer fiction

[bibliophilecats]

Currently reading: Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

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

[slaughter-books]

Day 30: JOMPBPC: Read In November

My November, 2023 reading wrap-up! 💜

#justonemorepage #jompbpc #read in november #reading wrap up #november 2023 #terciel and elinor #garth nix #you're not supposed to die tonight #kalynn bayron #stars and smoke #marie lu #ming & hilde #lead a revolution #jackie french #fake dates and mooncakes #sher lee #if you'll have me #eunnie #beautiful books #amazing authors #lgbt+ #pretty flowers #mulan #i love books

[vkelleyart]

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

[bi4bihankking]

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

[luxaofhesperides]

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

[aurorawest]

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

[stardustandrockets]

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

[brightbeautifulthings]

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

[mercerislandbooks]

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—s​wooned. 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

[princessofbookaholics]

presenting the prettiest book cover I've ever seen 💛

#books #booklr #book #reading #read #bookworm #reads #bookaholic #bookaddict #love #fake dates and mooncakes #sher lee #young adult books #young adult romance #young adult #asian heritage month #asian books #asian readathon #asian book recommendations

[bibliophilecats]

Read this month: August 2023

A lot of ebooks this month.

C. Santoso, C. Busby - The Bookstore Cat

L. + J. Hermes - Out there, zwei Schwestern auf der Suche nach einer besseren Welt (eARC)

T. Kingfisher - Summer in Orcus

K. Tordasi - Die Reise zum Mittelpunkt der Magie (eARC)

S Lee - Fake Dates and Mooncakes (library)

I am still not overly happy with my reading - I want to read so much more but there never seem to be time or spoons. At least my overall enjoyment of the books has improved compared to previous months. And no DNF.

#read this month #read this month august 2023 #helen reads 2023 #t. kingfisher #sher lee #kathrin tordasi #lisa hermes #julia hermes #charles santoso #cylin busby

[slaughter-books]

Day 29: JOMPBPC: Freebie

I loved reading this book last month! 💜

#justonemorepage #jompbpc #freebie #fake dates and mooncakes #sher lee #beautiful book #beautiful cover #amazing author #lgbt+ #pretty flowers #i love books

[justapayneaway]

This week I'm reviewing Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee 🥮

Follow me on IG at @ritasbookclub for more content!

#fake dates and mooncakes #sher lee #rita's book club #book #bookclub #Youtube

[theliterarymess]

‘Eclipses don’t last long- but I can’t help wishing this one could go on for a little longer.’

If the cover isn’t enough to entice you, let me tell you that the writing will be!

Dylan and Theo are so adorable together. There’s an ease and casualness to their relationship that often goes amiss in most fake-dating tropes, it’s certainly less awkward but still tension filled! They’re written so well it’s hard to forget that they aren’t real people. I really loved the complexities in their backstories and how well they meld together as a pair.

I was not expecting that plot twist at the end of chapter 24! I love mystery subplots. I laughed, cried (a lot) and squealed while reading this gem of a story.

This was a beautiful tale, I loved learning more about Chinese culture while following the romance. I can’t wait to read more of Sher Lee’s work in the future!

Also an honourable mention for Clover the corgi. The best character by far.

#shazzy’s reviews #fake dates and mooncakes #Sher Lee

[skygemspeaks]

currently reading "fake dates and mooncakes" and it's SO cute, i'm always such a sucker for fake dating and the main couple are real adorable

#i don't really read a lot of YA these days but i'm glad i picked this one up #it's a bit young for my tastes and i can just tell that it's gonna be super dated in a few years but i still quite like it #fake dates and mooncakes #sher lee