Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau

Told mainly from the point of view of the heroine, this book explores a fake dating situation that, of course, turns into a full blown relationship by the end of the book. 
Writer and barista Emily Hung has a mother who is full bore into matchmaking. Emily is the second of five girls and her youngest sister just got married leaving her as the only single child. Add in the fact that she's working in the arts and she just feels like her mother doesn't approve of Emily's lifestyle. Enter, Mark Chung. The son of Emily's mother's friend, he is held up as a paragon. And at her sister's wedding, Emily is forced to spend time with the man. Mark, spends most of that time on his phone. Obviously, he isn't very interested either. But, to get her mother off their backs, they decide to fake date. This gets very involved with cake decorating dates and meeting to sync their stories.
It is during these meetings that Emily starts to notice that Mark may be different than she originally assumed. Not quite as lofty and maybe, just maybe, he is interested in her too.
I wish we had gotten more time with Mark. I think we were almost three quarters of the way through the book when we switch to his perspective. Because we saw so much from Emily's side, I was left feeling that there was more to explore from him. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out April 7, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Her Unexpected Roommate by Jackie Lau

Rose Pang is the last in her group of friends to be single. Would she like love? Sure. But she's got depression and her mental health is not the greatest. Should she be hooking up with a guy she just met? Maybe not. But he is really hot. Too bad he ghosts her.

Caleb Dempsey was just as into Rose as she was to him, but his phone was run over. No seriously. So he is pretty darn happy that his new roommate is the woman he hasn't stopped thinking about for the past seven months. Now he just has to make her believe that his story is true.

Three stars

This book came out August 29, 2023

Follows Her Favorite Rebound

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Not Your Valentine by Jackie Lau

Some people seek the spotlight, some have it thrust upon them. Helen Tsang is among the latter. After her boyfriend broke up with her, blaming her, in a public place and it was videoed and made into a meme. It is almost a year later and she wants people to believe that she's moved on. She hasn't but she wants to get them off her back. 

So, she taps her friend Taylor, to be her fake boyfriend. They've been friends since high school and he knows her well enough to be a believable partner. 

This is a romance so the inevitable happens. Helen catches feelings. But how can Taylor even feel the same way?

Lau is an amazing writer and this book was a fast and fun read. It was just a little too fast for me. I wish we had seen more of Helen and Taylor and how they would function as a couple (not just faking it). I also wish we had seen a little bit more of Helen's friends as they feel like sequel-bait and it would be nice to get to know them a little better.

Three and a half stars

This book comes out January 24, 2023

ARC kindly provided by Kobo Originals and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Her Favorite Rebound by Jackie Lau

Ufda. I wasn't sure about the premise of this book but a) this series has been really fun and b) Lau is an amazing writer, if anyone could pull off a heroine dating a billionaire at the start of the book but ending up with someone different, it would be Lau. But... well. I finished the book and Lau's writing was still good but we have a good dash of insta-love tossed with a side of the hero being creep (and acknowledging it!) with just a dash of a flat villain caricature and this book fell pretty flat.

Sierra Wu is a divorced woman who doesn't want children and her mother berates her about it every time they meet. But Sierra has a secret in her back pocket, she's dating a billionaire. And at the beginning of the book, she lets this news drop. Sierra's friends have secrets as well (which we know from previous books in the series); they don't like her billionaire. And Jake Tong doesn't like him either.

Jake worked for Colton Sanders and knows just what a bad guy he is. When he sees a woman in a restaurant one night and falls immediately in love with her, he has to let her know that Colton is bad news. And then Jake has to track her down at her workplace. Thankfully, he backs off after that but he still jumps in with both feet and railroads Sierra when she does end up calling him later because... plot reasons. 

Two stars

This book came out March 29, 2022

Follows A Very Beery New Year

Followed by https://themeanderingreader.blogspot.com/2023/02/her-unexpected-roommate-by-jackie-lau.htmlHer Unexpected Roommate

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The Professor Next Door by Jackie Lau

All she wants is someone with no strings to stay no strings but also just stay. Nicole Louie-Edwards is about to turn thirty-four and she can't seem to find the kind of life she wants. But she's having a lot of fun while she waits. 

David Cho is Nicole's next-door-neighbor. And, as he notes to himself, they share a very thin wall. He is very aware of how she spends her nights and it... affects him. 

The two of them meet when the elevator to their apartment stops while they are both in it. But that is a small part of the book and the two begin a more adult relationship. But, it's very possible that it will turn into something more. 

Four stars

This book came out June 8, 2021

Follows Her Pretend Christmas Date

Followed by A Very Beery New Year

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The Stand-Up Groomsman by Jackie Lau

In Donut Fall In Love, Vivian Liao, banker, met a man she's had a crush on forever, comedian Melvin Lee. That meeting... was awkward as hell. Mel derided her profession and couldn't believe that she would be happy with her life doing something boring for her job while leaving her art on the side. He had done the same and it crushed his soul. 

Now, the two are going to be thrown together as the characters from that book are getting married. Mel is the best man and Vivian is a bridesmaid. 

The relationship between them moves slowly from antagonism, to a sort of friendship, to sex, to love. It is a lovely journey and we get to see a lot of growth from both Mel and Vivian. Not all of the side stories that led to who they are get entirely wrapped up and I kind of like that (life isn't a neat package tied with a bow) but other readers may find that frustrating.

Four stars

This book comes out October 25, 2022

Follows Donut Fall in Love

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Her Pretend Christmas Date by Jackie Lau

Younger sister Julie Tam has always felt inferior to her sister Charlotte. No fault of Charlotte's but she is an engineer with a job that their parents understand. Now, Charlotte's dating a perfect guy and Julie is... well... she's making jewelry and waiting tables. She's not ashamed of either but neither does she enjoy getting into fights with her parents over what she's doing with her life. She needs something and the perfect fix might be the right man. Too bad the blind date she's been set up with, Tom Yeung, isn't going to be that man. But she decides to tell her parents he is anyway. And when her mom asks if Tom wants to come for Christmas, Julie throws caution to the wind and asks the man who's unknowingly been her fake boyfriend for months if he'd like to go with her. When he says yes, she's absolutely floored. But grateful.

Through tribulations (sleeping on the floor) and trials (couples gingerbread house bakeoff), the two start to get to know and appreciate each other.

Four stars

This book came out December 8, 2020

Follows His Grumpy Childhood Friend

Followed by The Professor Next Door

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

His Grumpy Childhood Friend by Jackie Lau

The book opens in the middle of Charlotte Tam's worst nightmare, her boyfriend proposing to her at a Toronto Blue Jays game on the big screen. She loves the Jays, hates the public. So why didn't her boyfriend get that? 

Years later and Charlotte is generally happy in her job that lets her work from home without having to put on real pants (we hear about that a lot; since I agree with her sentiment, it didn't bother me) and generally not going out except to occasionally meet her friends at a cider bar. One night, she recognizes the boy who used to live next door, Mike Guo. He left suddenly one night and she never heard from her best friend again. But now he's all kinds of grown up and hot. Surely he must have women crawling all over him. He'd be the perfect person to get her back into the dating game!

Mike isn't exactly the stud that Charlotte thinks he is but he has missed his old friend and is delighted  to spend more time with her. The fact that he now has grown up feelings for her is just icing on top of the cake. 

I loved that the fake relationship didn't last too long. I loved that most of the conflict from these two was external to their relationship because they talked to each other. The timeline was maybe a little fast but I really enjoyed this book.

Four stars

This book came out October 27, 2020

Follows Her Big City Neighbor

Followed by Her Pretend Christmas Date

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The Unmatchmakers by Jackie Lau

I unfortunately read this one after another Lau book which I thoroughly enjoyed and this one suffered in comparison. I'm not sure if it's because it took so long for the romance to really begin or because we never really got to know the main character because she spent so much time describing other people but I didn't really click with this book. 

Leora grew up with a number of aunties. Women who, like her mother, were disappointed by love. Now they are all gathering for a summer vacation together again but as adults. And Leora is discovering that Neil grew up to be a fine man indeed. All might be peachy except that both her mother and Neil's are actively working to keep them apart.

Three stars

This book come out June 28, 2022

ARC kindly provided by Kobo Originals and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year by Jackie Lau

Zachary Wong knows that he needs to be preemptive. The last two holidays, his parents have invited prospective partners for he and his siblings. So he asks his friend, the town dentist Jo MacGregor, if she will pretend to be his girlfriend. From there, this book beats exactly along the fake-relationship-trope lines and does not veer from them. Zach and Jo go out to dinner to convince the townsfolk that they really are dating, they both have deeper feelings for the other but don't want to say anything, etc. Lau is an amazing writer but this felt like more of a duty book than one she enjoyed writing.

Two and a half stars

This book came out January 7, 2020

Follows A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas 

Followed by A Big Surprise for Valentine's Day

Kindle book I own

Opinions are my own

A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas by Jackie Lau

If you can get a grunt out of Greg Wong, you should consider yourself lucky. But he would talk with Tasha Edwards. And he was probably her last good boyfriend which is sort of sad considering that was high school and they are now in their thirties. Now they are both living in the big city and Tasha needs a ride to Mosquito Bay for the holidays so Greg's mother has volunteered him. Too bad they are caught in a snowstorm. They are just lucky to get a room, even if it doesn't have heat and only has one bed...

A cute story though not as good as the first book in the series and awfully short. I wasn't quite sure how the two of them would stay together but... eh. As a part of the larger series, I would bump the rating up a bit. 

Three stars

This book came out November 12th, 2019

Follows A Match Made for Thanksgiving

Followed by A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau

A donut baker and a movie star fall in love? Sure! I'll read that book. And it's by Jackie Lau... I'm all in. And Lau didn't disappoint. With well-developed characters and a relationship arc that made sense, this was a book that I adored.

Lindsay McLeod can be forgiven for not recognizing Ryan Kwok when he ducks into her bakery. After all, his most recent fame is for his abs and he's wearing a shirt. But when he calls later to ask her for some help learning how to bake for when he's on a celebrity baking fails show, she's hesitant. The man is hot but way out of her league (as she sees it).

Ryan is reeling from his mother's death. He was never as close to his father and now the man is practically only talking to him in grunts. When he answers the phone; which isn't often. Ryan goes on the baking show as a way to be closer to his mother though it doesn't hurt that Lindsay is a woman at whom he'd definitely look twice.

I loved the way the two fell in love and can't wait to read the next book that Lau puts out.

Four and a half stars

This book came out October 26th, 2021

Followed by The Stand-Up Groomsman

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Book and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Match Made for Thanksgiving by Jackie Lau

Nick Wong left Mosquito Bay and never looked back. He really likes living in Toronto. It's here that a woman just propositioned him for a one night stand. It's just too bad that he's still thinking about that night. And even worse, she's showed up at his family's Thanksgiving dinner... as his brother's date. 

Lily Tseng is not a risk taker. Not until the night she spends with Nick Wong. When she sees him at Thanksgiving, she's intrigued. He was supposed to be one aberration but he still looks so good. And when they're caught by his grandmother making out... 

This is a fast, fun, and fluffy story. It's not long but it was fun. 

Four stars

This book came out October 8th, 2019

Followed by A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas

Borrowed as Kindle Unlimited book

Opinions are my own

A Big Surprise for Valentine's Day (, #4) by Jackie Lau

Can you find love in the family planning section of the grocery store? Amber Wong and Sebastian Lam are about to find out. The two grew up in the same neighborhood but haven't seen each other in some time. Now each is just out of a bad relationship and figuring that some hooking up would be perfect for each. 

This is a short book (novella?) with a lot of on page sex so there's not a lot of room for character growth nor for relationships. It's fun and fluffy and great for a right-before-bed-read.

Three and a half stars

Follows A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year

This novella came out February 4th, 2020

Borrowed as an ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Her Big City Neighbor by Jackie Lau

I only discovered Jackie Lau last year even though the Smart Bitches have talked about her for years. Her characters are captivating and her stories are generally pretty fun even if the last Big Misunderstanding in this one was a bit forced.
Victor Choi is still mourning the loss of his brother five years ago. And I did think the mourning was handled realistically (having lost my own brother just over 2 years ago, I connected with him.) He was always the more serious sibling but now he is downright dour. His new neighbor, Amy Sharpe, is exactly the opposite. 
Thirty years old and entering grad school, Amy inherited a house in Toronto from her great aunt and is delighted. She gets to try new foods, she gets to meet new people... like the hottie next door who tends to mow his grass with his shirt off (we hear about that a LOT). Sure, he's handsome and good in bed but he needs to step it up. Amy spent years in a relationship where she put in the majority of the work. But first he needs to pull his head out of his own ass.

Three and a half stars

Followed by His Grumpy Childhood Friend

ebook borrowed from CloudLibrary

This book came out September 8th, 2020

The Ultimate Pi Day Party by Jackie Lau

Josh has tried a lot of things to get his father to forgive him for a youthful indiscretion. He even named his successful app company Hazelnut Tech because it is his father's favorite food. Finally, Josh comes up with an idea. His father is a math teacher and there is no way he'll be able to resist the Ultimate Pi Day Party which Josh is going to throw with the catering help of Sarah.
Sarah has thought Josh was cute for awhile. So when he asks her to cater a Pi Day party, she's excited she'll get to spend more time with the CEO (and nice tie-in to the Harlequin categories that all start with CEO.)
Did I wish there was more in depth exploration of how the two were going to fit together? Yes. Overall, though, a very nice story about two people falling in love.

Four stars
This book came out March 5th, 2019
Read this book from my Kindle Library
Opinions are my own