Fake Dates and Mooncakes

Chapter 1


Something s burning. Aunt Jade says if the smoke s white, it s all good. But if the smoke is yellow, I m in trouble. Which means I have to decide whether I should save the fried radish and egg pancake I forgot to flip or the five sticks of pork satay blackening on the grill.

As the charred scent wafts through the kitchen, I dive for the sticks of skewered pork cubes. The fat on the meat burns with a ton of smoke, and if the fire alarm goes off and the sprinklers kick in, we re all screwed.

Megan snatches the pan with the sizzling pancake off the fire. She shoots me a look. Dylan, weren t you supposed to be watching the chye tow kuay?

T-minus three on order number thirty-eight, sixteen xiao long bao! Tim calls through the serving window. He s eleven, so he s not allowed into the war zone, but he s handling the counter like a boss, taking orders online and from walk-ins. Tim wrote an algorithm to crunch data and determine T, the time hangry customers detonate and cancel their orders. And Auntie Heng s still waiting for her Hokkien prawn mee!

I m on the xiao long bao! I snatch the cover off the steamer basket and carefully scoop the soup dumplings into a box lined with waxed paper. Like an unstable element, a xiao long bao has a core of minced pork surrounded by a volatile mixture of soup and wrapped inside a thin layer of dough. If the dough breaks, the soup will leak out. One of us will still eat the ruined dumpling, but we should be selling food, not putting it into our stomachs.

Chinese people believe names have a powerful effect on how something or someone will turn out, which is why most restaurants are called some variation of Happy, Lucky, or Golden. Something serene, positive . . . nonviolent. When Aunt Jade set up her Singaporean Chinese takeout here in Brooklyn, New York, she should ve known better than to call it Wok Warriors.

But maybe there s more truth to our takeout s name than meets the eye.

Sher Lee

"The perfect recipe of romance, riches, and really great food! Through family drama, will-they/won't-they vibes, and one adorable corgi, Lee shows that true happiness comes from following your heart (and delicious mooncakes help, too!)." Jason June, New York Times bestselling author of Out of the Blue and Jay's Gay Agenda

"With a fresh take on fun tropes and a focus on family as well as romance, Fake Dates and Mooncakes is wonderfully heartfelt and romantic. An utterly delightful read." F.T. Lukens, New York Times bestselling author of So This Is Ever After 

"A sweet and entertaining romance. Fake Dates and Mooncakes has all the desired ingredients to warm your heart (and leave you hungry for Chinese takeout)." Brian Zepka, author of The Temperature of Me and You

"An adorable tribute to young love, family, and food. Word to the wise: don't read this lovely treat of a novel while hungry." Alison Cochrun, author of The Charm Offensive

"A vibrant story bursting with Singaporean Chinese culture readers will instantly recognize was made with the deepest love. Take a bite!" Adam Sass, award-winning author of Surrender Your Sons and The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers

"Get ready to be swept off your feet! Sher Lee serves up a delectable romp. A beautiful celebration of the importance of family, culture, and finding real love" Brian D. Kennedy, author of A Little Bit Country

I savored every morsel of Fake Dates and Mooncakes from the first bite all the way through to its sumptuous happily-ever-after. Deliciously sweet with a rich texture, Sher Lee s writing had my mouth watering. Steven Salvatore, critically acclaimed author of And They Lived . . .

"Charming and heartfelt, this is a perfectly balanced confection that's guaranteed to satisfy any romantic's sweet tooth." Caleb Roehrig, author of Last Seen Leaving and Death Prefers Blondes

"Foodies will have lots to