3.5/5.

Vibes: fake dating, modern P&P, family marital pressures, writer heroine

Heat Index: 6/10

At thirty-three, writer and barista Emily Hung is facing more pressure about marriage than ever before. More than anything, her mother is pushing her towards Mark Chan, who definitely thinks he's above Emily. (Does he, though?) But Emily really wants her mom off her back. And Mark's willing to go along with the charade... So what's the harm in a few fake dates? And if family happens to catch them on one date, I guess they'll have to plan another one! And another, and another...

I think that with romcoms, there's always a careful balance of sweetness (happy moments, some humor) and savory (sexual tension, the sense of ohmygodisitgonnahappenforthem?). Some people prefer romcoms that lean more sweet, sometimes they prefer romcoms that lean more savory. I am a "make sure it's got the sweetness it needs, but lean a little more savory" reader. And I know that's kind of ridiculous, but I'm saying this to lead to: this is a sweeter romcom. (Although it does have solid sex scenes!) A lot of people love a sweeter romcom, so there's no flaw in the system here. It just may have been too sweet for me.

However, it's well-written and engaging, and couches a kind of normal "fake dating to keep Mom off my back" setup in lovely descriptions and dialogue and dynamics. I recently saw a discussion surrounding fake dating that was like "Are you tired of the fake dating trope, or are you tired of the fake dating trope written by and about straight white people?"

And... that's a concept. I think that fake dating honestly lends itself much better to leads who have more traditional cultural pressure pushing them towards marriage. That pressure? Is not nearly as great for the vast majority of white Americans as romance wants us to think it is, let's be real. (Those for whom it is often come from more conservative religious backgrounds, and THEN we have something else to discuss.) When Jackie Lau writes this marriage-minded mama in the twenty-first century, I believe her because of the way she sets up and describes this mom. I believe that Emily is so over it, and I believe that she would resort to fake dating. It works here.

Was it just a little too on the side of nice for me? Maybe. But I really respected what she was going for.

Quick Takes:

--This sounds insane to say, but I loved reading a contemporary romance heroine who's thirty-three and doesn't have her life all figured out. I mean... that should be normal, but it's not in romance.

--One thing that I do think would've made this work a little more for me is faster pacing. Mark isn't in the book for the first chunk all that much; in some ways I get it, because this builds up Emily's idea of him. But you also don't have his perspective until later in the book, and I just wanted a little more, a little faster.

--There is a really great sense of family in the book, and I feel like that gave me P&P vibes the most. You have this overbearing mom, all of these people (including little nieces) dying for Emily to get with someone. It felt very true to life and also VERY classic romcom.

The Sex:

The sex comes a little late in the book, with a few scenes that are... not less than explicit, per se, but definitely edited in an interesting way. Exciting things are being done (there is face-sitting) but it cuts to another action, not another scene, so quickly? I think we could've lingered on the detail a little more.

However, there is a good buildup, and a strong chemistry between Mark and Emily. I liked what we got, I just wanted more... luxuriating.

So, while I can't say this was a slam dunk for me, I do believe it will appeal to romcom readers who prefer a little sugar. Perhaps... cherry pie?

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me with a copy this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.