As a big fan of the fake dating trope, I knew I needed to get my hands on Fake Dates and Mooncakes. So I’m really excited to share my interview with Sher Lee on my stop of the book tour hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours. Keep on reading to find out more about this book and the author!
Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Publishing Date: May 16th, 2023
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?
Book Links
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Author Interview
What inspired you to write Fake Dates and Mooncakes?
Back in August 2020, during the pandemic lockdown, I found myself gravitating toward light-hearted, funny stories that provided an escape from the stifling isolation. After months of not writing anything, this idea came to me during the changing of seasons from summer to fall, inspired by the arrival of my favorite celebration: the Mid-Autumn Festival.
What has been the favorite part of your publishing journey so far?
Connecting with other authors! Writing is solitary, but publishing is not. I’ve made wonderful friends among fellow 2023 debuts, as well as authors I admire who agreed to read and offer blurbs for Fake Dates and Mooncakes, such as Alison Cochrun, Jason June, and many others!
I also have an amazing street team who’ve been helping to spread the word on social media. They’re the best—check out their posts on the #fdamstreetteam tag on Instagram.
If you were a character in Fake Dates and Mooncakes, what kind of character would you be?
I would be like Megan, Dylan’s cousin! Snarky, witty, fiercely protective, never above a naughty pun, and a total fangirl who’d make #TeamTheo T-shirts and insist that her family wear them to convince Dylan to give Theo a chance!
Describe Fake Dates and Mooncakes in five words or less.
Five words is really hard… Two Boys Fall In Love!
What is your favorite quote from Fake Dates and Mooncakes?
A favorite quote from the book is the Chinese phrase 有缘千里来相会 (yǒu yuán qiān lǐ lái xiāng huì), which means “We have the destiny to meet across a thousand miles.” I’ll leave readers to discover for themselves why this phrase is so meaningful!
What do you hope readers take away from your story?
An appreciation for Singaporean Chinese food and beloved Asian cultural traditions! As my author bio confesses, I have an abiding love for local street food, including an incredible weakness for xiao long bao. The Mid-Autumn Festival is also my favorite festival and a cherished part of my childhood. Dylan’s aunt’s takeout, Wok Warriors, also sells all the local dishes I love: chye tow kway (fried radish and egg pancake), satay, fried Hokkien prawn mee, stir-fried egg fried rice—and of course, xiao long bao!
Could you give us 5 random facts about Fake Dates and Mooncakes (think the story, writing, publishing, anything that comes to mind)?
I was a mentee in Pitch Wars 2017, and my mentor was the awesome Naomi Hughes! This was my first serious step toward traditionally publishing my stories.
I wrote Fake Dates and Mooncakes in August 2020 with the kind of lightning-bolt, once-in-a-blue-moon(cake!) inspiration that fueled a first complete rough draft in a feverish three-week sprint. I am usually a slow drafter, so this is highly unusual for me (and has never been repeated!)
My agent is Jess Regel of Helm Literary, who was one of five offers of representation I received for Fake Dates and Mooncakes. She is the absolute best!
I have two corgis, Spade and Clover (I always wanted to name my pet corgi Clover, which is why Dylan’s trusted corgi confidant is also named Clover!)
I have two YA fantasy novels in the pipeline! The first, LEGEND OF THE WHITE SNAKE, is coming out in Summer 2024 from Quill Tree/HarperCollins. It’s a gender-flipped reimagining of one of China’s four famous folktales, in which a teen boy must hide his true identity as a white snake spirit when he falls in love with a prince hunting for a white snake for the antidote to cure his dying mother.
Tour Schedule
If you’re interested in this book after reading the synopsis and author interview, click here for the full tour schedule. There are quite a few amazing bloggers and bookstagrammers talking about this book during the tour.
About the Author
Sher Lee writes rom-coms and fantasy novels for teens. She lives in Singapore and has an abiding love for local street food (including an incredible weakness for xiao long bao).
FAKE DATES AND MOONCAKES, pitched as Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians, is her debut YA rom-com coming Summer 2023 from Penguin Random House.
Author Links
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Fake Dates and Mooncakes has everything I love – fake dating and a food competition. I need to read this one soon. What is your favorite comfort food? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!
