CW: Mother abandons son and husband for another man

Well that was a charming YA romance with an endearing Thai American main character.

This story will appeal to many as it was filled with some standard YA romance tropes making it a fairly 'safe' read. However, this will stand above other similar books for me because the characters were so enjoyable to read about and I adored the family dynamics. The romance was cute and flirty with some witty banter thrown in. It also touched upon some coming-of-age/identity type issues as Winnie struggles in the shadows of her amazing and accomplished older twin sisters. I really enjoyed this light-hearted YA rom-com. ( )

I read this book in a matter of 3 days or less, I was so addicted to it. It is like the best enemies to lovers, fake dating book, ever! If you like enemies to lovers & fake dating this is the book for you! Highly recommend it! There may be tears, screaming, and many other emotions that follow this book. ( )

Every time I cracked this book open, the joy infused me and I was grinning like an idiot.

It's a perfect little YA romance. It's not shallow, it's joy-focused, but it doesn't ignore challenges of immigrant families, clashing cultures, and family (or community) expectations. It just doesn't sag underneath them in any way whatsoever. And for me, the pacing and writing were straightforward but lovely.
"Hi," he says.
I laugh a little wildly. His greeting strikes me as hilarious, when I've spent hours planning this scene.

And frankly, any author who has trouble with sexual tension need only look here. Or relationship tension-it was just fantastic. This is trope-tastic all rolled in one: enemies to lovers, friends to lover, fake dating. Take your pick.

"We're good at that, aren't we? Willfully misunderstanding each other?"

He looks directly at me. His expression is so steady, his eyes so clear, that I know he hasn't been drinking from the punch bowl. "I don't want to be," he says quietly. "I don't want us to misunderstand each other anymore."

Winnie is the dutiful youngest daughter who wears cat skirts despite her allergies, who loves her friends, and who adores her sisters and doesn't seem to mind that she's constantly in their shadow-after all, they are her favorites too. Mat is the ultimate in respectful suitors, who sees her shine even though she often doesn't get the spotlight and they truly bring out the best in each other. Their parents set them up to fake date, but they've experienced a multi-year rift in their friendship and Winnie doesn't quite understand why. Mat and Winnie's antagonism is perfectly underscored with humor, vulnerability, and history and feels warm even though they have things to piece back together. It takes a while to trust, but the book doesn't move slowly, and just really...it is a delightful YA romance. ( )

I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher (Entangled Teen) in exchange for an honest review. Since I received an ARC, my quotes from the book are tentative.

This was the cutest YA rom-com!

Okay so first I just have to talk about the #OwnVoices aspect. As a Filipino American, I know how important it is to have your stories told, so I was so happy to finally see a book about the Thai American experience. I had never read a book about the Thai American experience before so I was super eager to read this. From food to the Songkran festival, there was a lot of Thai culture woven throughout the novel.

The premise of this book is adorable. I loved how the dates were inspired by romantic comedies including some of my favorites, “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” and “Always Be My Maybe.”

I found this book to be highly relatable. As an Asian American, I could relate to some of Winnie’s experiences. For example, at one point, Winnie’s mom jumps to the conclusion that Winnie could be pregnant. Winnie replies, “Must you always skip fifty million steps? I haven’t even kissed him yet” (pg 126). Yup. My mom is like that too. You start dating a boy and their mind immediately goes to pregnancy. There’s also the quintessential bringing weird food to school moment that Winnie mentions in passing. Lastly, I related to how Winnie talks about respect towards her parents. She states, “Sometimes, I get so bored of this respect. Yes, it’s important, and yes, it’s my parents’ due. But respect also prevents us from admitting our infractions— and talking about them. That’s what I want. For us to talk. Not as friends, exactly, but certainly without this yawning chasm between us” (pg 237). I think that is so true. There can often be this divide between Asian parents and their children because of this notion of respect.

As for the romance, I thought it was so cute. It’s the classic childhood friends to lovers and enemies to lovers tropes but I thought it was done very well. Winnie and Mat had a lot of chemistry so I loved them as a couple.

Overall, I recommend this #OwnVoices romance! This book gave me a ton of “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” vibes, so if you like that movie or the books, you’ll probably like this! ( )

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

This is the rom-com you need in your life.

The story was so cute and wholesome all the way through. I loved all the characters and thought the plot was so much fun!

It also includes an ownvoices Thai-American main character. Dunn writes about the Thai-American culture in a beautiful and lively way that invites the reader in.

I've been trying to figure out why I just loved this book so much. And I think a huge part was that the pacing was so good. There was never anytime I felt the story dragged, and still, there were slower times where the characters just interacted and we got to know them. I was immediately hooked by the story. And every time I picked it up to read more, the story re-caught my attention within a few sentences. It was also so much fun. There are plenty of references to other rom-coms in the most enjoyable way ever. The relationships in the book felt real and fleshed out, both the family relations and friendships.

Sometimes I struggle to fully love rom-coms, because many plots rely on characters making morally gray decisions(in terms of what is or isn't cheating, consent, obsession, etc.), but I didn't at any time feel that way with this book. And the characters actually communicating and opening up with each other was great!

Dating Makes Perfect is the ideal book to pick up if you're in the need of a fun, lighthearted, enjoyable read. Highly recommend!