School Library Journal
10/01/2020
Gr 7–10—Winnie's Thai parents were very strict with her older sisters—absolutely no dating in high school. When the college-age girls fail at finding marriage prospects straight out of the gate, however, mom decides to relax the rules for Winnie so that she can have some practice at socializing. Winnie is secretly thrilled until she discovers her mom's choice for her practice "fake dates": her former best friend and now arch-enemy, Mat. But wait, there's a new flirty kid in town, Taran, and maybe Mat isn't as awful as she remembered. Cue a confusing triangle of romantic interests. To add to the fun, Winnie's mom has based all of the fake dates on rom-com movies (it makes sense that the book has a completely rom-com resolution scene). The writing is heavy on readable dialogue, and the pacing makes it a great choice for reluctant readers. Thai culture is sprinkled throughout: Food, holidays, and values are highlighted and smaller details—like the use of Scotch tape to create a double eyelid—add authenticity. VERDICT Young teens will lose themselves in this delicious, tame romance. Recommended.—Leah Krippner, Harlem H.S., Machesney Park, IL
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2020-07-21
In this YA romantic comedy, a Thai American teen from a tightknit family starts dating—on her parents’ terms.
Orrawin “Winnie” Techavachara is entering her final semester of high school in the Chicago suburbs without a boyfriend. Her parents don’t allow her to date, a rule that started with her beloved older sisters, Ari and Bunny, now in college several hours away and happily independent with no thoughts of settling down, much to Mom’s dismay. Fearing the same fate for their youngest daughter, Winnie’s parents change the rules. Winnie is now allowed to date, but it’s not quite that simple. First, Winnie’s mom will dictate the dates’ locations, each of which will pay tribute to beloved rom-coms, like Always Be My Maybe and When Harry Met Sally. Second, she’ll also dictate the boy. And it won’t be Winnie’s crush Taran, the new guy in school who also happens to be Thai, but Winnie’s former best friend, Mat Songsomboon, who’s been Winnie’s sworn enemy since an epic falling-out in junior high. Also, kissing is verboten. Mat’s father ups the ante for his reluctant son: For every date Mat and Winnie complete, he’ll add a day to Mat’s post-graduation solo backpacking trip through Asia. What starts as an awkward car ride to school soon becomes much more as Winnie realizes her feelings for Mat are more complex than she once believed, and Mat makes a startling revelation about his feelings for Winnie. But what’s a good Thai daughter to do when she’s not actually supposed to fall in love? New York Times–bestselling author Dunn, a first-generation Thai American, takes on the enemies-to-lovers romance trope with punchy dialogue and adorable twists while paying tribute to the culture’s prioritization of food and family: One of the novel’s best scenes plays out at the Songkran festival, a celebration of the Thai New Year. Both Winnie and Mat are intelligent, sympathetic characters with genuine chemistry in the throes of mutual eye-rolling–turned–puppy love, and Winnie’s family members are finely drawn and nuanced, with aspirations, conflicts, and dreams of their own.
A laugh-out-loud YA romance with a smart cast.
