#AmReading YA

Fake It Till You Break It
Jenn P. Nguyen
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Mia and Jake have known each other their whole lives. They’ve endured summer vacations, Sunday brunches, even dentist visits together. Their mothers, who are best friends, are convinced that Mia and Jake would be the perfect couple, even though they can’t stand to be in the same room together.

After Mia’s mom turns away yet another cute boy, Mia and Jake decide they’ve have had enough. Together, they hatch a plan to get their moms off their backs. Permanently. All they have to do is pretend to date and then stage the worst breakup of all time—and then they’ll be free.

The only problem is, maybe Jake and Mia don’t hate each other as much as they once thought...

For the past 15 years, Mia and Jake's mothers have been trying to get these two together. Family vacations, Sunday dim sum, and orchestrated "favors" have put them in proximity with one another for practically their whole lives. When Mia attempted to date other boys, her mother chased them off. Therefore, the pair embarked on a fake-dating mission in an attempt to discourage their mothers' matchmaking.

We're going to date so we won't have to date. 

I am pretty sure I grinned throughout this book, because it was exactly what I wanted, needed, and thought it would be.  The fake-dating trope is always a lot of fun, but throw in a little hate-to-love and people with a tons of history, and I am all in.

Mia and Jake went waaaaay back, and their relationship evolved quite a bit over the years. They had a strong friendship, which may have turned into attraction at one point, but because of their meddling mothers and other factors, it later evolved into a sort of frenemy situation. One of the things I liked about them entering into this fauxmance was that it allowed them to untangle the past and reevaluate their friendship. They each unpacked quite a few memories of each other, and it was terribly sweet. I acknowledge that I am a total sap, but I must confess, that I loved each and every "a-ha" moment they had about each other.

It was also quite beautiful the way they pushed each other out of their comfort zones. They may not have gone about it in the right way, but both Jake and Mia made progress towards some personal goals, because the other was there to nudge them in the right direction. It was wonderful seeing them take those steps, and I liked cheering them on as they did it.

But, can we talk about the moms? First of all, their friendship was so heartwarming. When Jake's mom talked about how Mia's mom took her under her wing, it may have made my eyes a little shiny. I just loved that these two women had each other for support as they navigated life and motherhood. I also liked the way they were with their children. They had a nice rapport with them, and Jake's mom, her whole backstory, got me right in the feels.

Nguyen let us experience so many fun things with Mia and Jake too. Those bits had a great rom-com feel, and I just had a fabulous time.

My list of adjectives for this book: sweet, fun, adorable, amusing, entertaining, and also, touching.

I Love You So Mochi
Sarah Kuhn
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Kimi Nakamura loves a good fashion statement. She's obsessed with transforming everyday ephemera into Kimi Originals: bold outfits that make her and her friends feel brave, fabulous, and like the Ultimate versions of themselves. But her mother sees this as a distraction from working on her portfolio paintings for the prestigious fine art academy where she's been accepted for college. So when a surprise letter comes in the mail from Kimi's estranged grandparents, inviting her to Kyoto for spring break, she seizes the opportunity to get away from the disaster of her life.

When she arrives in Japan, she loses herself in Kyoto's outdoor markets, art installations, and cherry blossom festival--and meets Akira, a cute med student who moonlights as a costumed mochi mascot. What begins as a trip to escape her problems quickly becomes a way for Kimi to learn more about the mother she left behind, and to figure out where her own heart lies.

Her mother's dream was for Kimi to become the next great Asian American artist. The only problem was it was not HER dream. While standing at a crossroads in her life, Kimi received a plane ticket and an invitation to visit her estranged grandparents in Japan. She saw this as the perfect escape from her mother's crushing disappointment, but it was exactly what she needed to find her passion.

I swear, I didn't stop grinning for hours after reading this book. I simply loved everything about it.

Kimi was fantastic! She was charming, smart, funny, and talented, oh so, talented. I loved her passion for fashion, and her zeal for discovering new things.

Akira was terribly sweet. I was delighted by all his nerdy suaveness, his ambitions, his authenticity, and his love for his family. I was so happy that this life-sized mochi danced his way into Kimi's life, because he absolutely made her time in Japan really special.

Kimi's family played a big role in her journey as well. Her relationship with her mother was complicated. As a matter of fact, there were three generations of women working through their complicated feelings for each other, but underneath it all, you knew there was love. The relationship that developed between Kimi and her grandmother was beautiful, and a step in the right direction for her grandmother to begin mending the bridge between herself and her own daughter. Then, there were the letters Kimi wrote to her mother. They were beyond wonderful, and it was really lovely how Kimi uncovered so many truths about her mother as she was trying to figure herself out. Lots of sweet and touching moments here, folks. I must mention, that her dad and grandfather were also too precious for words.

The romance was like biting into mochi - soft and gooey and so sweet on the inside. I adored Kimi and Akira together, and I wish I had a jump ahead to see what their future held.

Japan and Japanese culture were featured prominently by Kuhn, and I inhaled every site, morsel, and bit of information she sent my way. The places she chose to have us visit were all so wonderful, and they weren't simply backdrops to the action, but rather, Kuhn incorporated them well into the story. And, as for the food, my mouth watered continuously. Bless you, Kimi, and your hearty appetite. You know I am trying to find some sweet potato Kit Kats now too.

Overall: I had an incredible time with Kimi on her journey to finding her passion. It was filled with so  many new discoveries, new experiences, and lots of love.

Here's a short clip of the author telling you about this wonderful book, and I will attest to the fact, that everything she says is true!

**ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

Do you like mochi?

Let us know in the comments!