Jackie Lau is a contemporary romance author whose books blend humor, family pressure, and high-chemistry love stories, often set in and around Toronto. Her catalog splits cleanly into short, tightly linked series and true standalones, with a few novellas and collections that work best as “extras.”
Instead of one giant list, this guide is arranged like a bookshelf: pick a shelf, follow the order on that shelf, and you’ll stay spoiler-safe.
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How to pick your first Jackie Lau book
If you want a modern, high-concept rom-com: start with Time Loops & Meet Cutes.
If you want a warm, classic contemporary setup: start with Donut Fall in Love.
If you want short, seasonal comfort reads: start with A Match Made for Thanksgiving (then keep going through the holiday set).
If you want interconnected “family-and-friends” romances: start with Grumpy Fake Boyfriend and read forward.
The series shelves
Weddings with the Moks (best read in order)
Four Weddings to Fall in Love (2023): A wedding weekend sparks the series’ core family web, and later books assume you’ve met the Moks and their dynamic.
Three Reasons to Run (2024): A runaway-bride moment flips the tone into higher emotional stakes, rewarding readers who already know the family pressure points.
Two Friends in Marriage (2025): The series leans into commitment and consequence, landing best once you’ve watched the family’s expectations build across the earlier romances.
Chu’s Restaurant (read in order for cameos)
The Sitcom Star (2024): A childhood crush collides with sudden celebrity proximity, setting up the restaurant world that anchors the duet.
The Reluctant Heartthrob (2024): A one-night stand becomes impossible to ignore, and the shared setting/cast pay off more if you start with Book 1.
Cider Bar Sisters (read in order, with one novella in the middle)
Her Big City Neighbor (2020): The friend group takes shape, and the series’ “found support system” becomes the emotional backbone.
His Grumpy Childhood Friend (2020): A history-heavy romance deepens the shared circle, making later references land with more weight.
Her Pretend Christmas Date (2020): A holiday novella that works like a palate cleanser while still advancing the series’ relationship web.
The Professor Next Door (2021): The series shifts into stronger “everyday intimacy” territory, tightening the neighborhood-and-friends feel.
Her Favorite Rebound (2022): A rebound premise turns into a story about self-definition, expanding the series’ sense of community.
Her Unexpected Roommate (2022): The late-series entry where the shared-world comfort is the point, and the payoff is seeing the friend group in full motion.
Holidays with the Wongs (a complete mini-series, read in order)
A Match Made for Thanksgiving (2019): A holiday return home sets the matchmaking tone and introduces the Wong family engine.
A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas (2019): Forced proximity and old feelings run the show, and the family context from Book 1 enriches every scene.
A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year (2020): The “fake date” premise becomes a shield against family escalation, with the series’ comedy rhythm fully established.
A Big Surprise for Valentine’s Day (2020): The capstone holiday romance, where the earlier family meddling pays off as a softer, more settled finale.
Baldwin Village (a short set with a prequel novella)
One Bed for Christmas (2018): A friends-to-lovers novella that introduces the neighborhood vibe before the main run begins.
The Ultimate Pi Day Party (2019): The series’ proper opener, mixing awkward history with a public event that forces emotional honesty.
Ice Cream Lover (2019): A grump-with-a-story romance that widens the recurring cast and keeps the neighborhood “everyone knows everyone” feel.
Man vs. Durian (2019): A high-chemistry enemies-to-lovers arc that functions as the series’ comedic peak while still closing out the community thread.
Kwan Sisters / Fong Brothers (two linked mini-arcs)
Read these in publication order to keep character crossovers clean.
Grumpy Fake Boyfriend (2018): A fake-relationship setup introduces the Kwan family tone and the broader friend network.
Mr. Hotshot CEO (2018): A power-and-vulnerability romance that builds naturally on the social world established in Book 1.
Pregnant by the Playboy (2020): The focus shifts to the Fong side, and the continuity feels smoother if you’ve already read the Kwan books.
Bidding for the Bachelor (2021): A charity event framework pulls the shared world together, landing best as the final step in this cluster.
Chin–Williams (a two-book family set)
Not Another Family Wedding (2018): Family obligation and romantic chaos collide, establishing the expectations that drive the sequel.
He’s Not My Boyfriend (2018): A relationship-of-convenience setup runs straight into family pressure, and the emotional beats hit harder after Book 1.
Standalones and “read-anytime” books
These don’t require a series order, but they do have different entry-point vibes.
The Unmatchmakers (2022): A matchmaking premise flips into a romance about agency and choice, making it a clean standalone starter.
The Stand-Up Groomsman (2022): Wedding-party proximity and forced teamwork drive a breezy, high-banters standalone.
Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie (2024): A “family expectations vs. real desire” romance that spotlights Lau’s comedy-and-heart balance in a big way.
Time Loops & Meet Cutes (2025): A time-loop structure turns small encounters into accumulating intimacy, ideal if you like high-concept romance with character-first payoff.
Novellas and collections
These are best treated as bonuses, not core steps.
There’s Only One Bed at Christmas (2021): A holiday novella collection that’s most fun once you’ve already read at least one Jackie Lau series.
Magically Generated (2025): A Christmas novella with a light speculative hook, best read whenever you want seasonal comfort without continuity homework.
Not Your Valentine (2023): A novella-length romance that works as a quick hit, and it doesn’t require any of the series above.
Recommended reading paths (no repeats, no backtracking)
Path A: The “sample platter” (3 books, all standalone-friendly)
- Donut Fall in Love
- Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie
- Time Loops & Meet Cutes
Path B: The “family web” (most satisfying continuity)
- Grumpy Fake Boyfriend → read forward through the Kwan/Fong cluster
- Then pick either Weddings with the Moks or Cider Bar Sisters and read that shelf in order
Path C: The “short-and-cozy” shelf
- A Match Made for Thanksgiving → continue through Holidays with the Wongs
- Add Magically Generated whenever you want another seasonal novella
Latest release status
Most recent release (as of February 27, 2026): Magically Generated (October 2025).
No widely listed, firm-dated 2026 release is confirmed across major bibliographies at the time of writing.
FAQs
Do I have to read Jackie Lau books in order?
Only within each series shelf. The standalones are safe in any order.
Which series is the easiest to commit to?
Holidays with the Wongs is four short novels with a clear beginning and end.
What if I only want one book that shows her style clearly?
Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie is a strong “this is Jackie Lau” snapshot, while Time Loops & Meet Cutes shows her newer high-concept range.
Bottom line
If you want maximum payoff with minimum fuss, start with Grumpy Fake Boyfriend for an interconnected world, or Time Loops & Meet Cutes for a self-contained modern rom-com. Then stay on one shelf at a time.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.