Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.Īutumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart their mothers are still best friends. Foodies will have lots to savor, and cultural heritage and appreciation are at the forefront too, as Theo, who has a White father and a mom from Hong Kong, is eager to reconnect with his Chinese heritage. Spending more time with Theo does not help to squash Dylan’s budding crush, but can they date for real with all the family drama the glitz and glam brings? Debut novelist Lee presents a rom-com romp full of meddling and hijinks. In return, Dylan agrees to join Theo at his cousin’s Hamptons wedding as his pretend boyfriend: Theo’s family will stop trying to matchmake for him, and they’ll be even. Meanwhile, Theo uses subterfuge to send $5,000 from a fake grant program to help Wok Warriors. He hopes a win will bring in a much-needed financial boost for his aunt’s business. Dylan entered the Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making contest, a competition for teens hosted by a Malaysian celebrity chef.

Even more unlikely? The two of them riding around Chinatown in Theo’s Ferrari taste testing mooncakes. Theo’s there, and he tries to defuse the conflict, but the last thing Dylan expects is to see him turn up at Wok Warriors and rave over the xiao long bao. Seventeen-year-old Dylan Tang meets heartbreakingly handsome Theo Somers during an unpleasantly memorable incident: He makes a delivery from his Aunt Jade’s Singaporean Chinese takeout spot to Theo’s friend Adrian, who goes ballistic over a minor error. Two teens come together over food and family.

Fake dates and mooncakes