Published in 2024 by Arita/Emily Bestler Books, it is available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook formats, and at your local library or through the Libby App.

This modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice has strong parallels with Little Women, introducing Emily Hung, a writer and barista, the second-eldest of five girls, and the only unmarried one. Naturally, she is a disappointment to her immigrant parents, which is likely why Emily’s mother has decided to play matchmaker and is determined to pair her with Mark Chan.

Emily is tired of hearing about Mark Chan, the sweater-vest-wearing engineer, from her mom. She is not thrilled when she learns her mother invited him to her youngest sister’s wedding as her date, and later, when her mother tricks her with a brunch invite, Mark Chan is there. This is when Emily comes up with the idea of faking a date to stop her mother from meddling. Lau’s twist on fake dating by not actually dating, just telling people they are together and going on occasional dates, works well. When Emily’s mother’s spies get involved, the situation becomes even funnier.

After her mother calls her out for not being where she said she would be on a date, the fake couple decides to go on real fake dates. As they get to know each other, Emily discovers Mark Chan is not as bad as she expected. Still, he is her mother’s choice…

Like her older sister told her when she figured out her charade: “Your lies will come and bite you in the ass.” Emily never thought they actually would, though…

Lau’s writing style is genuine, bringing her characters to life. The opening quotes for each chapter hint at what readers can expect, and the family dynamics are similar to those of the Bennets. She often refers to the March family, especially how much Emily detests Amy for burning Jo’s novel. As a writer, having your work destroyed must be the worst thing imaginable. Since Emily worries about losing her work throughout the novel, this parallel makes sense.

The book is a quick, easy 3.5-star read with some spicy scenes, perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay’s Love at First Book or Katherine Center’s The Rom-Commers.