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A review by keepcalmblogon
Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Anyone who knows my reading habits knows I don’t often read romance, and when I do I prefer the audiobook. I also prefer my romcoms in film form. But, I was granted access to an e-arc of Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie on Edelweiss and when I read he Dear Reader letter from the editor and saw it has “a dash of Pride and Prejudice,” I was very excited to read it (no, I haven’t read Pride and Prejudice or seen either film adaptation, but I do love the Bridget Jones movies!).
Immediately, I was drawn in to how prickly and presumptive Emily was towards Mark–understandable in a situation when one’s mother is relentless in trying to set one up with a date! I don’t usually like an MC who makes too many assumptions about the people and world around her, but I could tell in this case Emily was going to come to learn differently and it would be fun to join that ride.
At first, Mark Chan is so much more an object in the story: of Emily’s mother’s plans and of Emily’s resentment, but he develops into his own person at the same pace that Emily learns just how wrong she was about him, and it was really enjoyable to watch his layers being peeled back.
Who doesn’t love a fake dating trope? The ease with which Mark agreed to the scheme made him immediately sympathetic to me–despite Emily’s treatment of him, he clearly was interested in sticking around this girl for whatever she had to offer, and that made him feel a little cinnamon roll-y to me, which is not a bad thing!
I think my favorite subplot of this book was Emily’s career as an author–which I’m sure the author Jackie Lau had fun writing in! It is not an easy or glamorous career and the sardonic and often bittersweet feelings Emily has towards her chosen path was really comforting to me as a writer and aspiring author. Some of the anecdotes Emily has for her writing, planning, and “research” were so relatable and also gave me hope for my own craft.
In the end, I actually enjoyed this book so much, even if I had to read with my eyes! It was funny, sweet, and spicy, and very well-written. Five stars!
Immediately, I was drawn in to how prickly and presumptive Emily was towards Mark–understandable in a situation when one’s mother is relentless in trying to set one up with a date! I don’t usually like an MC who makes too many assumptions about the people and world around her, but I could tell in this case Emily was going to come to learn differently and it would be fun to join that ride.
At first, Mark Chan is so much more an object in the story: of Emily’s mother’s plans and of Emily’s resentment, but he develops into his own person at the same pace that Emily learns just how wrong she was about him, and it was really enjoyable to watch his layers being peeled back.
Who doesn’t love a fake dating trope? The ease with which Mark agreed to the scheme made him immediately sympathetic to me–despite Emily’s treatment of him, he clearly was interested in sticking around this girl for whatever she had to offer, and that made him feel a little cinnamon roll-y to me, which is not a bad thing!
I think my favorite subplot of this book was Emily’s career as an author–which I’m sure the author Jackie Lau had fun writing in! It is not an easy or glamorous career and the sardonic and often bittersweet feelings Emily has towards her chosen path was really comforting to me as a writer and aspiring author. Some of the anecdotes Emily has for her writing, planning, and “research” were so relatable and also gave me hope for my own craft.
In the end, I actually enjoyed this book so much, even if I had to read with my eyes! It was funny, sweet, and spicy, and very well-written. Five stars!