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Holidays with the Wongs #3
A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year
After his family’s matchmaking extravaganza at Thanksgiving, high school teacher Zach Wong is terrified of what his parents might do for Chinese New Year. Surely they’ll try to set him up yet again, especially now that his older brothers are in relationships. Zach, however, has no interest in dating, not since his fiancée left him.
The solution? Find a fake girlfriend to avoid his parents’ matchmaking.
Jo MacGregor, the town dentist, is the obvious choice. They both live in Mosquito Bay and have been friends for years, ever since they bonded over broken engagements. A few kisses and dates around town, and everyone will believe they’re in a relationship. No problem.
Except their fake relationship is starting to feel more and more real…
The solution? Find a fake girlfriend to avoid his parents’ matchmaking.
Jo MacGregor, the town dentist, is the obvious choice. They both live in Mosquito Bay and have been friends for years, ever since they bonded over broken engagements. A few kisses and dates around town, and everyone will believe they’re in a relationship. No problem.
Except their fake relationship is starting to feel more and more real…
104 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 7, 2020
34 people are currently reading
797 people want to read
About the author
Jackie Lau
39 books870 followersJackie Lau decided she wanted to be a writer when she was in grade two, sometime between writing “The Heart That Got Lost” and “The Land of Shapes.” She later studied engineering and worked as a geophysicist before turning to writing romance novels.
Jackie lives in Toronto with her husband, and despite living in Canada her whole life, she hates winter. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, hiking, eating too much gelato, and reading on the balcony when it’s raining.
Jackie lives in Toronto with her husband, and despite living in Canada her whole life, she hates winter. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking, hiking, eating too much gelato, and reading on the balcony when it’s raining.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
June 5, 2020
3.5 stars
This is my favorite of the series; I think it’s because MCs already knew each other as friends and harbored secret crushes. Plus, the faking lasted several weeks and not just on the day of the holiday.
I really loved the meddling family and the hilarious grandparents. That Pictionary game made me giggle uncontrollably. Fun, low-angst, and cute read.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is my favorite of the series; I think it’s because MCs already knew each other as friends and harbored secret crushes. Plus, the faking lasted several weeks and not just on the day of the holiday.
I really loved the meddling family and the hilarious grandparents. That Pictionary game made me giggle uncontrollably. Fun, low-angst, and cute read.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2020
Decent people being decent! This is my jam.
(The only reason I am not giving this four stars is that the fourth book in the series is by far my favorite but it is not a five star book so I can't match them and my brain is weird, I'm sorry.)
(The only reason I am not giving this four stars is that the fourth book in the series is by far my favorite but it is not a five star book so I can't match them and my brain is weird, I'm sorry.)
February 3, 2022
cute, short and I laughed out loud during the Pictionary game scene
December 17, 2019
Don't wait for Chinese New Year to read this adorable, funny, slow burn friends-to-lovers holiday romance. You don't need to celebrate the holiday to enjoy two friends having fun with their fake romance in their small town while balancing a secret crush and fending off overbearing relatives and neighbors. And of course, the Chinese-Canadian food porn like New Year cake, Nanaimo bars, butter tarts, and White Rabbit candies. Oh my.
Zach and Jo found their friendship years ago after heartbreak with their respective partners. Zach thinks he found the perfect fake girlfriend in Jo given he's oblivious to her two-year crush on him. But once Zach wakes up and realizes how great Jo is, and even more, how great she is for him, things really heat up. Zach doesn't know what to make of things when he finds himself turned on by unintentionally dirty Pictionary, making out in a skating hut, and his fake girlfriend's hockey playing skills.
While Zach may be slow to realize his feelings for Jo, the man comes up with a solid plan to make his fake romance real. His romantic gesture was adorable, complete with assists from his quirky family. I know Zach's sister's story is next; all I can hope is that the Wong clan plays a lot more Pictionary.
Note: I voluntarily read and reviewed the eARC generously provided by the author.
“Yes,” he said, “I want you to be my fake girlfriend so my family won’t set me up with anyone for Chinese New Year.”
“Well, there’s a sentence that’s never been uttered before in Mosquito Bay.”
Zach and Jo found their friendship years ago after heartbreak with their respective partners. Zach thinks he found the perfect fake girlfriend in Jo given he's oblivious to her two-year crush on him. But once Zach wakes up and realizes how great Jo is, and even more, how great she is for him, things really heat up. Zach doesn't know what to make of things when he finds himself turned on by unintentionally dirty Pictionary, making out in a skating hut, and his fake girlfriend's hockey playing skills.
While Zach may be slow to realize his feelings for Jo, the man comes up with a solid plan to make his fake romance real. His romantic gesture was adorable, complete with assists from his quirky family. I know Zach's sister's story is next; all I can hope is that the Wong clan plays a lot more Pictionary.
Note: I voluntarily read and reviewed the eARC generously provided by the author.
December 18, 2020
2.5 stars
February 13, 2021
Very cute fake dating novella.
January 6, 2020
Another fun and sexy entry in the Holidays with the Wongs series! As the title suggests, it's a fake girlfriend trope ( and friends to lovers) that sees Zach asking his good friend Jo if she'll pretend date him to get his matchmaking mom and grandma off his back. Jo happily says yes - she's got hidden feelings for Zach and when a little sizzle leads to some sexy times, she fears she might be in over her head if Zach doesn't realize how good they would be for real together. Zach is a bit slow to come to grips with how his feelings for Jo have blossomed but he pulls things off with a sweet gesture to get them to their HEA. Plenty of laughs and I never knew ginger beef was a Canadian prairie dish ( we order it all the time)! The author strikes a great balance of showing real life challenges and feelings in her characters. It's just a wonderful series all around.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
May 19, 2022
Is Mosquito Bay a real place in Canada? Because I desperately want to visit there and Toronto because of these books - sounds so fun!
February 1, 2022
3.5 , rounding up on re-read.
In A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year Zach is afraid of a repeat performance from Thanksgiving and now that his two brothers are in relationships he knows he is the likely target for a second try at blind date setups (I appreciate how Lau makes this his fear, not the plans his mom and grandmother have). To keep that from happening he approaches his friend Jo with a favor – would she be willing to pretend to be his girlfriend for a few weeks to keep the pressure off from his family. The both live in Mosquito Bay and have a friendship built on broken engagements and hobbies, so Zach thinks this is safe for both of them. What he doesn’t know if that Jo has secretly been falling for him for the past two years of their four-year friendship and that he has some feelings for her that he is being dumb about.
full review: https://faintingviolet.wordpress.com/...
re-read review, 2022: https://faintingviolet.wordpress.com/...
In A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year Zach is afraid of a repeat performance from Thanksgiving and now that his two brothers are in relationships he knows he is the likely target for a second try at blind date setups (I appreciate how Lau makes this his fear, not the plans his mom and grandmother have). To keep that from happening he approaches his friend Jo with a favor – would she be willing to pretend to be his girlfriend for a few weeks to keep the pressure off from his family. The both live in Mosquito Bay and have a friendship built on broken engagements and hobbies, so Zach thinks this is safe for both of them. What he doesn’t know if that Jo has secretly been falling for him for the past two years of their four-year friendship and that he has some feelings for her that he is being dumb about.
full review: https://faintingviolet.wordpress.com/...
re-read review, 2022: https://faintingviolet.wordpress.com/...
June 1, 2024
Kobo+ Contemporary Romance Challenge 2024. MC's Zach Wong,30 and HS Science Teacher, Dr. Jo MacGregor, 33, Dentist. Tropes: Fake Boyfriend/Girlfriend, Friends to Lovers, RomCom, Extended Family and Friends.
Favorite of the three books so far. It had the most humor,especially the game of Pictionary.
Review I Liked:
Don't wait for Chinese New Year to read this adorable, funny, slow burn friends-to-lovers holiday romance. You don't need to celebrate the holiday to enjoy two friends having fun with their fake romance in their small town while balancing a secret crush and fending off overbearing relatives and neighbors. And of course, the Chinese-Canadian food porn like New Year cake, Nanaimo bars, butter tarts, and White Rabbit candies. Oh my.
“Yes,” he said, “I want you to be my fake girlfriend so my family won’t set me up with anyone for Chinese New Year.”
“Well, there’s a sentence that’s never been uttered before in Mosquito Bay.”
Zach and Jo found their friendship years ago after heartbreak with their respective partners. Zach thinks he found the perfect fake girlfriend in Jo given he's oblivious to her two-year crush on him. But once Zach wakes up and realizes how great Jo is, and even more, how great she is for him, things really heat up. Zach doesn't know what to make of things when he finds himself turned on by unintentionally dirty Pictionary, making out in a skating hut, and his fake girlfriend's hockey playing skills.
While Zach may be slow to realize his feelings for Jo, the man comes up with a solid plan to make his fake romance real. His romantic gesture was adorable, complete with assists from his quirky family. I know Zach's sister's story is next; all I can hope is that the Wong clan plays a lot more Pictionary.
Favorite of the three books so far. It had the most humor,especially the game of Pictionary.
Review I Liked:
Don't wait for Chinese New Year to read this adorable, funny, slow burn friends-to-lovers holiday romance. You don't need to celebrate the holiday to enjoy two friends having fun with their fake romance in their small town while balancing a secret crush and fending off overbearing relatives and neighbors. And of course, the Chinese-Canadian food porn like New Year cake, Nanaimo bars, butter tarts, and White Rabbit candies. Oh my.
“Yes,” he said, “I want you to be my fake girlfriend so my family won’t set me up with anyone for Chinese New Year.”
“Well, there’s a sentence that’s never been uttered before in Mosquito Bay.”
Zach and Jo found their friendship years ago after heartbreak with their respective partners. Zach thinks he found the perfect fake girlfriend in Jo given he's oblivious to her two-year crush on him. But once Zach wakes up and realizes how great Jo is, and even more, how great she is for him, things really heat up. Zach doesn't know what to make of things when he finds himself turned on by unintentionally dirty Pictionary, making out in a skating hut, and his fake girlfriend's hockey playing skills.
While Zach may be slow to realize his feelings for Jo, the man comes up with a solid plan to make his fake romance real. His romantic gesture was adorable, complete with assists from his quirky family. I know Zach's sister's story is next; all I can hope is that the Wong clan plays a lot more Pictionary.
Read
January 4, 2020A delightful fake relationship & friends-to-lovers romance. Jackie Lau is so good at hitting the trope-y sweet spots while still breathing new life in to them. In this book, I loved how the fake relationship was for a particular event (Chinese New Year dinner with the Wong family) but Jo and Zach spent weeks in preparation, going on dates and letting the small town's gossip chain add to their believability. It was really sweet to witness their long-time affection and ease with each other and how it flared up into something more, with only a slight prodding. (Also, something happens during the family Pictionary game that had me gasping out loud. omg Jo!)
I adore this cover, I loved the discussion of The Trip and the variations of Chinese-Canadian food (being American, I'm more familiar with the variations and development of Chinese-American cuisine, especially thanks to Jennifer 8. Lee's The Fortune Cookie Chronicles), and with Zach, I loved and appreciated this further addition to Lau's growing collection of nuanced and varied depictions of multiracial protagonists in romance novels.
FTC disclosure: I received an advance review copy from the author.
I adore this cover, I loved the discussion of The Trip and the variations of Chinese-Canadian food (being American, I'm more familiar with the variations and development of Chinese-American cuisine, especially thanks to Jennifer 8. Lee's The Fortune Cookie Chronicles), and with Zach, I loved and appreciated this further addition to Lau's growing collection of nuanced and varied depictions of multiracial protagonists in romance novels.
FTC disclosure: I received an advance review copy from the author.
January 25, 2020
Super quick read and my favorite of the bunch so far. It has all my favorite tropes! Jackie’s books always draw such a perfect picture in my head of the setting. I could see all the little streets and the limited restaurant options and the small high school and bakery... sometimes small romances remind me too much of my own hometown but this one is so charming. Definitely recommend this one if you want a sweet romance for Chinese New Year!
(Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.)
(Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.)
August 23, 2020
Cheesy as hell which means I loved it
February 12, 2021
Ok so this was an unexpected gem. I snagged this because it fills a super specific prompt for a bingo board. I was pleasantly surprised as this was fun, witty and cute.
January 8, 2020
3.5 ⭐
my first jackie lau's book of the year, yeah! I think it's my fav or its series (it's not my the series that i prefer by her but it's still good if you need something short to read) because i loved to see more of the town's life and the family. The fake dating aspect was okay too
my first jackie lau's book of the year, yeah! I think it's my fav or its series (it's not my the series that i prefer by her but it's still good if you need something short to read) because i loved to see more of the town's life and the family. The fake dating aspect was okay too
December 3, 2023
This was cute! It would have been even better if there’d been less family meddling and a shorter Pictionary scene.
Characters: Zach is a 30 year old white-passing Chinese-Canadian high school science teacher. Jo is a 33 year old white dentist. This is set in Mosquito Bay, ON.
Content notes: past fatshaming and sexual shaming by ex-fiancé, body insecurity, discussion of colorism, family pressure to date and marry, past broken engagements, on page sex, alcohol, inebriation (secondary character), diet culture
Characters: Zach is a 30 year old white-passing Chinese-Canadian high school science teacher. Jo is a 33 year old white dentist. This is set in Mosquito Bay, ON.
Content notes: past fatshaming and sexual shaming by ex-fiancé, body insecurity, discussion of colorism, family pressure to date and marry, past broken engagements, on page sex, alcohol, inebriation (secondary character), diet culture
February 23, 2020
After the active interference of his parents and grandparents with the matchmaking extravaganza over Thanksgiving (in A Match Made for Thanksgiving), Zack Wong is very worried that something similar will be repeated for Chinese New Year, especially since two of his brothers now have girlfriends, and the family seem determined that all four Wong children end up in happy couples. To make sure his family can't meddle in his personal life a second time, he talks his good friend, Jo MacGregor, into posing as his fake girlfriend. They even go on a couple of fake dates around town so the story will be more believable.
Jo MacGregor, Mosquito Bay's dentist, doesn't really miss her lackluster fiancee and has tried really hard not to pine over Zach Wong when they meet at the pub once a week to chat and commiserate over their continued single status. She can't really refuse when Zack asks her to pose as his girlfriend, considering her fondest wish is that he ask her to be his for real. If she can't have him forever, she'll settle for being his pretend girlfriend for a short while - it's better than nothing, right?
Of course, with this being a romance, the fake dating between two people with a close friendship and obvious chemistry, soon turns into something a lot more real.
In these very cozy novellas that focus heavily on family and togetherness as well as romance, Jackie Lau keeps playing with popular romance tropes. In this story, she covers the fake dating plot, as well as long-time friends to lovers. Zach has convinced himself he's very happily single after his fiancee left him years back. He doesn't really have time for dating, working as a high school teacher and football coach, but cherishes his friendship with Jo.
Jo keeps herself busy, having taken over her father's dentist's practice in the little town. She doesn't really feel the need to live anywhere more exciting or vibrant, having gone away for a few years for college and work training. For the past four years, she and Zack have had a "support group" as such, meeting up for drinks and chatting about everything at the local pub. Unbeknownst to Zack, however, Jo has been crushing on him for the past two years, but since she knows full well he wants to stay single, she's not going to reveal her true feelings and ruin their solid friendship.
It obviously doesn't take long before the fake dating becomes a lot more like real dating, but Zach takes quite a while to realise his true feelings for Jo, because otherwise, where would the complication be? There are some pretty adorable and hilarious scenes involving Zack and Jo and the extended Wong family, especially a laugh out loud moment during a competitive game of Pictionary. Jo certainly has more of a drive to win than I would.
Only one more of these novellas to go - little sister Amber's turn.
Judging a book by its cover: These little cartoon covers continue to be really nice, this one with lots of amazing food to tempt me, just in case the description of the food over the course of the novella wasn't enough. Just look at that spread, doesn't it make your mouth water?
Jo MacGregor, Mosquito Bay's dentist, doesn't really miss her lackluster fiancee and has tried really hard not to pine over Zach Wong when they meet at the pub once a week to chat and commiserate over their continued single status. She can't really refuse when Zack asks her to pose as his girlfriend, considering her fondest wish is that he ask her to be his for real. If she can't have him forever, she'll settle for being his pretend girlfriend for a short while - it's better than nothing, right?
Of course, with this being a romance, the fake dating between two people with a close friendship and obvious chemistry, soon turns into something a lot more real.
In these very cozy novellas that focus heavily on family and togetherness as well as romance, Jackie Lau keeps playing with popular romance tropes. In this story, she covers the fake dating plot, as well as long-time friends to lovers. Zach has convinced himself he's very happily single after his fiancee left him years back. He doesn't really have time for dating, working as a high school teacher and football coach, but cherishes his friendship with Jo.
Jo keeps herself busy, having taken over her father's dentist's practice in the little town. She doesn't really feel the need to live anywhere more exciting or vibrant, having gone away for a few years for college and work training. For the past four years, she and Zack have had a "support group" as such, meeting up for drinks and chatting about everything at the local pub. Unbeknownst to Zack, however, Jo has been crushing on him for the past two years, but since she knows full well he wants to stay single, she's not going to reveal her true feelings and ruin their solid friendship.
It obviously doesn't take long before the fake dating becomes a lot more like real dating, but Zach takes quite a while to realise his true feelings for Jo, because otherwise, where would the complication be? There are some pretty adorable and hilarious scenes involving Zack and Jo and the extended Wong family, especially a laugh out loud moment during a competitive game of Pictionary. Jo certainly has more of a drive to win than I would.
Only one more of these novellas to go - little sister Amber's turn.
Judging a book by its cover: These little cartoon covers continue to be really nice, this one with lots of amazing food to tempt me, just in case the description of the food over the course of the novella wasn't enough. Just look at that spread, doesn't it make your mouth water?
January 2, 2023
super cute romance
Zach asks his best friend Jo to pretend to be his girlfriend for his family’s Chinese New Years dinner, to avoid more terrible blind dates set up by his grandparents. Jo, who’s been pining secretly for Zach, is happy to agree to a fake relationship. Surprising no one, Zach catches real feelings, but he has baggage from being dumped by his fiancée four years ago. That’s actually how their friendship started, bonding over failed engagements. Jo broke up with her fiancé because he was one of those “nice” guys who aren’t really.
There’s small town gossip, fun family get togethers, a hilarious Pictionary game, a sweet ice skating date and lots of steam.
Zach asks his best friend Jo to pretend to be his girlfriend for his family’s Chinese New Years dinner, to avoid more terrible blind dates set up by his grandparents. Jo, who’s been pining secretly for Zach, is happy to agree to a fake relationship. Surprising no one, Zach catches real feelings, but he has baggage from being dumped by his fiancée four years ago. That’s actually how their friendship started, bonding over failed engagements. Jo broke up with her fiancé because he was one of those “nice” guys who aren’t really.
There’s small town gossip, fun family get togethers, a hilarious Pictionary game, a sweet ice skating date and lots of steam.
December 22, 2020
Okay, I swear the further and further I delve into the Wong siblings, the more I actually have it in me to consider a small Ontario town like the made-up Mosquito Bay to potentially, maybe, offer something in the way of charm. This is what Jackie Lau has done to me!
Full review up on the blog, as part of my Short Stories 366 project.
Full review up on the blog, as part of my Short Stories 366 project.
October 3, 2020
Jo being in love with Zach to such an extreme degree before anything ever started killed what is usually one of my favorite tropes. Lau did try to soften it at points, but not nearly enough to make a difference.
February 27, 2021
3.5 stars
OVERALL: A cutesy and quick (but decently steamy!) novella involving friends fake dating, 'it's just sex,' and a particularly funny game of Pictionary. Nothing groundbreaking here, but an easy read and good relationship development in a novella.
Content warnings: sexually explicit scenes
My vlog on this book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0-aY...
This was a cute quick story of two friends who have each had previous broken engagements pretending to date so the guy's family won't set him up on further (terrible) blind dates. Zach asks his friend Jo, who has been kind of pining after him for 2 years, and she is happy to say yes, and he thinks "wow, she's such a good actress, it's almost as if she has real feelings for me!"
I read this novella all in one sitting, and I thought the writing had good polish, if the overall tone was a bit Hallmark in its level of cheese and cliche. (But then there was decent steamy sex, so rated R Hallmark??) I liked this story and the characters, it was fun to read, but not going to stay with me I don't think. Probably would have liked it better had I read the previous two novellas in this series to be invested in this family and already be familiar with the members.
The Pictionary scene with the family was quite funny, and I was so pleased to have that scene in the book because I think it went a long way toward establishing connection between our main characters and even getting Zach's family to know and like Jo. My biggest frustrations with novellas are always that there's never enough development on page for me to believe that the 'I love you' was warranted, and a scene like this one really did a lot of that work. Along the same lines,
OVERALL: A cutesy and quick (but decently steamy!) novella involving friends fake dating, 'it's just sex,' and a particularly funny game of Pictionary. Nothing groundbreaking here, but an easy read and good relationship development in a novella.
Content warnings: sexually explicit scenes
My vlog on this book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0-aY...
This was a cute quick story of two friends who have each had previous broken engagements pretending to date so the guy's family won't set him up on further (terrible) blind dates. Zach asks his friend Jo, who has been kind of pining after him for 2 years, and she is happy to say yes, and he thinks "wow, she's such a good actress, it's almost as if she has real feelings for me!"
I read this novella all in one sitting, and I thought the writing had good polish, if the overall tone was a bit Hallmark in its level of cheese and cliche. (But then there was decent steamy sex, so rated R Hallmark??) I liked this story and the characters, it was fun to read, but not going to stay with me I don't think. Probably would have liked it better had I read the previous two novellas in this series to be invested in this family and already be familiar with the members.
The Pictionary scene with the family was quite funny, and I was so pleased to have that scene in the book because I think it went a long way toward establishing connection between our main characters and even getting Zach's family to know and like Jo. My biggest frustrations with novellas are always that there's never enough development on page for me to believe that the 'I love you' was warranted, and a scene like this one really did a lot of that work. Along the same lines,
November 28, 2024
A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year by Jackie Lau
Holidays with the Wongs #3
3h 8m narrated by Kristine Rivière, 119 pages
Genre: Romance > Contemporary Romance; Cultural > Canada, Asian; Holiday > Chinese New Year, Humor
Featuring: Small-Town near London, Ontario, Canada; Biracial MC, Fake Relationship Trope, High School Science Teacher, Dentist, Multigenerational Family Drama, Keanu Reeves, Sex- Detailed, Chinese Canadians, Matchmaking, January, Food, Friends-to-Lovers Trope, Secret Crush,
Rating as a movie: XX for strong sexual content
Books & Authors mentioned: Always Be My Maybe by Randall Park, Ali Wong, and Michael Golamco
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🐉🎆🍚🥢
My thoughts: This was the best one so far, even though they skipped over some stuff, I liked it.
Recommend to others?: Yes! This was sweet... and spicy.
Holidays with the Wongs
1. A Match Made for Thanksgiving (2019)
2. A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas (2019)
3. A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year (2020)
4. A Big Surprise for Valentine's Day (2020)
Holidays with the Wongs #3
3h 8m narrated by Kristine Rivière, 119 pages
Genre: Romance > Contemporary Romance; Cultural > Canada, Asian; Holiday > Chinese New Year, Humor
Featuring: Small-Town near London, Ontario, Canada; Biracial MC, Fake Relationship Trope, High School Science Teacher, Dentist, Multigenerational Family Drama, Keanu Reeves, Sex- Detailed, Chinese Canadians, Matchmaking, January, Food, Friends-to-Lovers Trope, Secret Crush,
Rating as a movie: XX for strong sexual content
Books & Authors mentioned: Always Be My Maybe by Randall Park, Ali Wong, and Michael Golamco
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🐉🎆🍚🥢
My thoughts: This was the best one so far, even though they skipped over some stuff, I liked it.
Recommend to others?: Yes! This was sweet... and spicy.
Holidays with the Wongs
1. A Match Made for Thanksgiving (2019)
2. A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas (2019)
3. A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year (2020)
4. A Big Surprise for Valentine's Day (2020)
March 15, 2021
Define “Fake”
You know those people who run an entire school fundraiser or local 5K and when you compliment them on their amazing leadership, they say,”Oh no! I’m not a leader! This was nothing.” Or the gorgeous stay-at-home mom who thinks she’s ugly. That’s these people. “I’ve been wanting to hold his hand for years, but this is just a fake relationship.” Or... “I want to have that kind of mind-blowing sex every night, but too bad this isn’t for real.” Somebody hand me a megaphone! WAKE UP DUMMIES! You’re in love! Good story as usual 🍥👅👍🏽👍🏽
You know those people who run an entire school fundraiser or local 5K and when you compliment them on their amazing leadership, they say,”Oh no! I’m not a leader! This was nothing.” Or the gorgeous stay-at-home mom who thinks she’s ugly. That’s these people. “I’ve been wanting to hold his hand for years, but this is just a fake relationship.” Or... “I want to have that kind of mind-blowing sex every night, but too bad this isn’t for real.” Somebody hand me a megaphone! WAKE UP DUMMIES! You’re in love! Good story as usual 🍥👅👍🏽👍🏽
February 15, 2020
This was a short and sweet story about a friends to lovers romance. Both Jo and Zach had previous serious relationships that didn't work out and each had their heart broken. They became friends over their shared misery/mourning. Fast forward a few years and Jo has a crush on Zach. It isn't until Zach needs a fake girlfriend to get his parents off his back that he begins to realize he has feelings too. (In the first book, the Wongs set each kid up with a date).
The Pictionary scene was hilarious and my fav part of the book.
The Pictionary scene was hilarious and my fav part of the book.
October 29, 2021
Although I'm for sure a fan of this series, this book wasn't quite my favorite, probably partially because I'm not a huge fan of an unrequited-love-to-lovers situation since it feels inherently power imbalanced. It was definitely a sweet story, but I just couldn't buy into the romance itself. Still worth reading to complete the series, though!
January 9, 2023
Eh, this one was just okay. I really think the author just can't top her first book of the series in terms of chemistry. I didn't feel the chemistry between the characters or even the developing relationship. I was getting so tired of the constant matchmaking of the family, I started skimming a bit, even though it was already a short read.
Read
January 7, 2026Terrible decision to try to find a different book about a winter celebration other then Christmas. This book had potential but it was crass ( unnecessarily so) with a LOT OF SEX! (🌶️🍆🍆🍆🍆🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️) . I liked how it was set in Canada, and mentioned towns that I have been to, but I will definitely not try any more in this series!!!! ( book about a winter celebration)
( 👂🏻📖)
( 👂🏻📖)
September 29, 2020
4 stars!
This is my favorite of the series so far! It covers a longer time and Zach and Jo are great together. Again, no angst. Only issue is although we see the siblings and there is discussion of Lily and Tasha, there's no real interaction with them.
How I rate a story. (In order of importance)
Does it keep my attention? 🌟 yes, finished in one morning
Is it plausible / logical? 🌟 very.
Grammatical errors or odd, repetitive language? 🌟 nothing stood out
Do I like the characters? 🌟 yes!
Overall, would recommend, definitely buying next in series. 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is my favorite of the series so far! It covers a longer time and Zach and Jo are great together. Again, no angst. Only issue is although we see the siblings and there is discussion of Lily and Tasha, there's no real interaction with them.
How I rate a story. (In order of importance)
Does it keep my attention? 🌟 yes, finished in one morning
Is it plausible / logical? 🌟 very.
Grammatical errors or odd, repetitive language? 🌟 nothing stood out
Do I like the characters? 🌟 yes!
Overall, would recommend, definitely buying next in series. 🌟🌟🌟🌟
January 6, 2022
3.5 stars
I think Jackie Lau needs to write more books about food, though.
Don't get me wrong, I like how she writes her romance...but it turns out she's also really good at writing about food.
My favourite from this book: "Was Jo seducing Zach with her Pictionary skills?"
I think Jackie Lau needs to write more books about food, though.
Don't get me wrong, I like how she writes her romance...but it turns out she's also really good at writing about food.
My favourite from this book: "Was Jo seducing Zach with her Pictionary skills?"
December 30, 2023
All of these novellas have made me laugh out loud. I don’t know why the term “douche canoe” is so funny but it got me every time.
Notes: takes place in rural Canada. Jo is a white woman and Zach is a white-passing Asian Canadian man.
Notes: takes place in rural Canada. Jo is a white woman and Zach is a white-passing Asian Canadian man.
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