Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie

Lau tells the captivating story of Emily Hung and Mark Chan. Emily, pressured by her mother’s matchmaking attempts, proposes a fake relationship with Mark to keep their parents at bay. As their pretend romance deepens, however, their feelings become real. Alongside this blossoming love, Emily’s strained relationship with her family, especially her older sister, takes center stage. A last-minute family trip opens up an opportunity for Emily to face her feelings for Mark and a much-needed conversation with her estranged family. Lau skillfully explores themes of family dynamics, personal growth, and defying societal expectations. Readers who enjoyed Lau’s previous novel, The Stand-Up Groomsman, will appreciate the engaging enemies-to-lovers trope and the strong female protagonist’s quest to find her own path. This story invites readers to reflect on generational communication and the pressures of living up to familial expectations, and the book also highlights the author’s writing prowess, which will appeal to readers who appreciate character-driven romance novels.