There’s something unexpected and unique about Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune.  Magic and sublime with a core that’s a real heartbreaker, it nonetheless has a few problems that keep it from being a full-out A-grade homerun.

Natalie Tan once vowed to herself that she’d never return to San Francisco’s Chinatown community.  After surviving a childhood hemmed in by her intense relationship with her agoraphobic mother, she’s refused to live with limitations.  Natalie became estranged from Ma-ma when she refused to support her daughter’s desire to go to culinary school instead of college, and fled without her approval in order to attend anyway.  Even though Natalie flunked out of her classes under pressure, she refuses to return home, traveling the world doing odd jobs instead.  But Ma-ma’s death means she must leave her latest stop to settle the woman’s affairs.

Upon arriving at her mother’s apartment, Natalie receives a conciliatory letter.  Ma-ma lied to Natalie about a few things – the most important of which is that, though she told Natalie it was in a state of disrepair, her grandmother’s restaurant, sitting on the ground level of their apartment building, is operable.  Natalie’s laolao, dead long before Natalie was born, was a star chef like her, and Ma-ma feared that if Natalie followed her dreams into the kitchen she would lose Natalie as well.  Ma-ma both refused to continue on the family business after her mother died and lied to Natalie about its worth; thus, the loss of this one-time hub of activity has brought the entire neighborhood to the brink of dissolution.

Natalie is called to reopen the restaurant and bring Chinatown back to life, but she’s still upset with old friends and associates of her mother who never seemed to lend a hand or a dollar when they both struggled to survive in her youth.

When a predatory realtor arrives to continue the neighborhood’s gentrification process, Natalie refuses to sell to her.  Relying on her grandmother’s book of recipes, she begins to cultivate her cooking skills while learning more and more about her laolao.  Natalie soon learns -  from the neighborhood seer - that she must cook three successful dishes from her grandmother’s cookbook to ease her neighbours’ troubles, make the restaurant a success and bring the block back to life.  The choice between selling and continuing family tradition has begun to tear Chinatown apart, and only Natalie’s magical cooking can help mend the bonds and keep tradition flowing. And in spite of her fear that love is a fatal virus that corrupts all it touches, she’s begun to crush on her new customer, Daniel.  When her recipes begin to go sour, she must discover what’s gone wrong.  Will Natalie make Chinatown her permanent home?  Or will old memories and grudges get between her and a fresh start?

The insular nature of communities and their cultural heritage haunt the novel, though mostly in a friendly way; the book at heart is about the power of food to transform lives.  To claim her destiny as the next in the line of family chefs, Natalie must face the scorn of her neighbors and the weight of her mother’s mistakes.  Sometimes, it feels like the narrative punishes her for leaving San Francisco – but it also recognizes that only through mending the tears between her mother and laolao can she move on into the future.

Until Natalie learns how to both forgive her mother and her mother’s world for rejecting her dreams and ignoring her pain, she cannot strike a proper harmony with her cooking skills nor bring laolao’s recipes to life.  Part of me accepted the beautiful sense of therapeutic healing that permeated the book.  On the other hand, Natalie and her mother – fighting and adoring each other as they do – deserve a more solid send-off than they get.  Natalie’s mother’s storyline feels particularly curtailed by the (incredibly well-researched and anchored in cultural mores perfectly) nature of her agoraphobia.  She’s the kind of agoraphobic who – convinced she will die like her mother in a sudden, violent accident – refuses to leave the house, and thus imports the neighborhood to her home.  There is an extremely ripe moment at the midpoint of the novel that cries out for a full-on reconciliation between the two of them, face to face, but it doesn’t happen.

We’re presented a colorful cast of neighbors who all pop and feel like real people.  I liked nearly every character that appeared in some way – well, except for the gentrifying real estate agent.  Even Natalie’s kitten has a great and interesting personality!

The introduction of magical realism into the story is startling at first, but works in its own matter-of-fact way that goes unquestioned by its characters. It’s clear that magic is part of this culture, but how long it’s been there and if the magic is unique to the Tan family goes unexplained.  Part of me embraced this Like Water For Chocolate-cum-Kiki’s Delivery Service-esque twist to the plot, but another part of me wanted lots of extra worldbuilding.

Daniel and Natalie’s relationship falls under the magical strictures of the book; their love is easy and pre-ordained but hampered by a mid-book argument and his subsequent disappearance while he broods over the threat of her leaving.  Yet when they’re together they’re cute and charming, and one can believe in their romance.

The quality of the writing is generally high, with long and beautifully lyrical passages.  For this reason, and even though it does have a handful of flaws, I cannot resist recommending the magical universe Ms. Lim offers up for us in about Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune.

Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
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Before I start with my New book Review , I would like to thank @PRHGlobal @prhinternational for Providing me with a free E-galley copy of this book for my Honest Review . Thanks a lot for giving me the opportunity to read this novel .

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" Such was The beauty Of sadness : It transformed the hollowness of the heart into something as precious as the loss it suffered " 

Book : Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune .

Author : Roselle Lim .

Genre : Fiction , Romance , Contemporary .

Rate : 5/5.

Review in one Word : Magical. 

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I dived into this book without any direction , I didn't read the book Summary , didn't hear anything about it from my friends as well as didn't  follow it's hype on social media . I just received the ARC and started reading it .

IT WAS MAGICAL , the story is so beautiful , Roselle Lim writes in a way that makes you  fly while reading her poetic words , every sentence is a piece of art , literally . My kindle edition is SO  full of highlights , when I wanted to choose 2 quotes to put in my review , I COULDN'T , all of her words are breathtaking .

The story is one of the most realistic , heartbreaking , motivating and well-written stories I've ever read . It was so warm and full of feelings , Lim's writing style forces you to feel every moment of it . The romance , although it wasn't the focus of the story ( not your typical romantic novel )  , is so sweet and real . 

Natalie's Character has actually became one of my favorite fictional characters , her passion , strength , kindness and love made her so realistic and lovable . All the other characters were well-written and added unique elements to the story .

The novel discussed many important topics such as Grieve , sadness , family , relations , Passion and dreams . The descriptions were lush , visual and very good . 

 For me , The best part was Food discussion , Ahhhh This book made me SO hungry , while reading it , I was continuously googling the dishes ( it mentioned ) and consuming different kinds of snacks :P . I learned a lot of New recipes while researching what Natalie talked about . LOL 

Rosalie Lim has definitely became one of my Favorite Authors , I will for sure auto-buy all of her future books . ;) 

If you like your books to be realistic and magical at the same time AND if you like food ;)  , this book is absolutely for you , highly HIGHLY  recommended . Definitely , one of my 2019 - favorite - books .  

“If my regrets and wishes were fireflies, the brilliance of their dance would turn night into day.”

You can find the review on my blog : https://bibliomedico.wordpress.com/

Though I can see that the book may appeal to library patrons because of its subject matter, I did not feel it was well written. I thought perhaps it had been translated and that accounted for the choppy prose style, but it doesn’t appear so.

There is no heart a good meal cannot cheer – that is the Asian mantra. You can read any book or watch any film, and majority of the time, food is a central focus. Think The Joy Luck Club, Crazy Rich Asians, or the award winning short film “Bao” – there it is, plain as day. Roselle Lim’s novel is no exception. In fact, this element is heightened because of her protagonist’s desire to open her own restaurant. Her path hasn’t been an easy path, paved with disappointment and estrangement. Natalie Tan’s mother wanted a life for her outside the confines of the kitchen, a life her grandmother had thrived in. Now Natalie faces her biggest test yet as she learns to cook the way her laolao (grandmother) did.

As she begins to cook for the people around her, the food from her laolao’s recipes begin to heal and restore. I found myself looking forward to the descriptions of the food, and felt compelled to seek some out in the real world because of how wonderfully immersing Lim’s writing is. The magic at the heart of the book flows bewitchingly through her writing. She strings words to create beautiful pictures for us to keep in our heads, leaving us gawking in wonder at the sights, smells and gustatory experiences of Chinatown.

Food is also tied to romance in Lim’s novel, and it is oh-so-sweet to see Natalie literally combusting as the man she fancies eats her food. I don’t think I have ever read of a meet-cute unfurling because a man followed the tantalising smell of dumplings, yet it works in the world Lim created. As steam emanates from the food, it similarly ripples off their skins – it’s crazy hot stuff. I never particularly believed food and eating to be an erotic experience, but my-oh-my it was certainly hot under my collar watching Natalie watch Daniel eat. The way to a man’s heart is truly through his belly.

Mother-daughter relationships are such an integral part of the book. In these relationships we see the tension between desire and expectation, and the loss experienced because of it. Yet at the same time, love remains at the core of it all. Mothers lose their daughters as they follow their hearts, but they never stop loving them or longing for a reunion, which at times may never come to be.

In a way, reading Lim’s book made me feel like I had just consumed a good meal, satisfied and heartened at its conclusion, but also sad that it is over. So it is no surprise that this book has earned my heartiest recommendation – may it fill you up and satiate your literary hunger.

Lim's debut novel is indeed every bit as magical, emotional, and heart warming as it claims to be.

Full of grieving, moving on, finding oneself, and a community coming together to help their own, it truly is one you don't want to miss out on and will leave a lasting impression.

Realistically told with issues that anyone can relate to, it truly was beautifully told as it slowly unfolded and family issues and secrets were revealed and one woman learned to move on, become someone she was always meant to be and to learn how to grow and most of all, forgive.

NATALIE TAN'S BOOK OF LUCK AND FORTUNE by Roselle Lim was a June LibraryReads selection so clearly it is perceived as a popular choice for summer reading. Sadly, I found it to be very slow and repetitive. Here's just one example, both from Chapter 28: "you should trust your heart and realize that love grows while infatuation fades" and three pages later: "over the years, love grew stronger while infatuation faded." A worthy observation – but does it require almost verbatim repeating, especially when so much else in this book is also explained multiple times? This debut novel describes (again and again) Natalie Tan's estrangement from her mother and emphasizes her late grandmother's cooking skills, contrasting Natalie's failure at culinary school, subsequent travels around the world, and her homecoming – after her mother's death – to San Francisco's Chinatown. There, Natalie decides to start her own restaurant, encouraged in part by a seer's prophecy that she help three neighbors so that the restaurant and neighborhood succeed. Lim writes, "The key to the most successful dish was to first seduce the eyes and the nose, for if the dish failed to do this, no one would want to take the next step of tasting it." Apparently the recipes from Natalie's grandmother contain magic as neighbors are literally transformed after eating Natalie’s cooking ("Chi gathered around him. Tiny, almost invisible motes of energy clung to his presence like garlands of Christmas lights."). This novel is filled with observations about ingredients and their special properties, much like those for various plants in Diffenbaugh's The Language of Flowers. There is a melancholy feel and quite a bit about relationships, mental health, and romance. Lim’s debut made me think of similar titles I honestly enjoyed more, including Wang's Chemistry, Khon's Goodbye, Vitamin and Sloan's Sourdough. NATALIE TAN'S BOOK OF LUCK AND FORTUNE received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and if you are a "foodie" looking for a light read, you may enjoy it.

Mix together family history and culture with a dash of magical realism, and you'll serve up Roselle Lim's debut novel Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune. This story about a young Chinese-American woman who returns to her family home in San Francisco's Chinatown after the death of her agoraphobic mother is a delicious journey into food, family, and heritage.

When Natalie Tan, an aspiring chef, receives a prophecy that she must cook a recipe for three of her Chinatown neighbors in order to revive her grandmother's restaurant, which she has inherited, and restore their crumbling neighborhood to its former glory, she feels daunted. How can she possibly know what to cook and for whom? However, she soon learns that her grandmother's recipe book, which has been passed down to her, contains all of her wonderful dishes, along with some words of advice, such as which recipe to cook for someone who needs courage, or which dish to make to bring forth harmony. Armed with her grandmother's sage advice and delectable dishes, Natalie feels inspired to begin cooking for her neighbors and saving their fading neighborhood, but she soon learns that evoking the intended outcome of the prophecy is not as easy as just following a recipe.

Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune is a heartwarming story about returning to your roots, preserving your cultural heritage, and helping your neighbors. Any reader who wants to learn more about the Chinese culture will delight in Lim's novel, as references to the Chinese way of life are sprinkled with great effect throughout the story. Lim has written an "own voices" novel, meaning that she herself is Chinese, and she uses her knowledge of the culture to create both an entertaining and educational read. I often found myself Googling Lim's references, such as the erhu, a Chinese instrument, or youtiao, Chinese donuts, to get a visual representation of what was being described in the story. This book really felt authentic to Chinese culture and customs, which I appreciated, and I feel like I have learned a lot about the Chinese way of life from reading it.

It should be noted with great delight that the food is really the shining star of Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune. Lim describes food so well, you will want to eat it right off the page. Her novel is filled with delectable tasting combinations and aromas, and she even provides pared down versions of the recipes cooked within the story. This is a book you will want to taste as much as read, the food is just that good.

Readers should also take note that there is a good amount of magical realism - when a realistic story incorporates elements of fantasy or surrealism - worked into this story that is not entirely explained. It took a couple instances of "magic" for me to become aware that something "funny" was going on. Because no explanation is given for these instances, I felt confused at first before accepting that in this world strange things do happen. I personally thought that the mystical elements were likely meant to tie into Chinese culture, and accepted them as such without much questioning.

Admittedly, I would not have read this novel if I had a better grasp of its tone and style before picking it up. Its vibrant cover and intriguing synopsis led me to believe I was jumping into a lighthearted, witty and funny summer read, but in fact, this story is the exact opposite. The topics this book deals with are serious, and the characters struggle with personal and professional issues throughout much of the story. Therefore, while I appreciate Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune for what it is and the story it tells, I do not feel I am the right reader for the book. However, I think that many will fall in love with and be charmed by this atmospheric story of food and family, especially readers who enjoy books that are filled with mouth-watering dishes or quaint stories that focus on small business.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune when I started it. The only let down while reading this book was that I couldn’t taste the recipes as Natalie cooked them.


Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune CoverAt the news of her mother’s death, Natalie Tan returns home. The two women hadn’t spoken since Natalie left in anger seven years ago, when her mother refused to support her chosen career as a chef. Natalie is shocked to discover the vibrant neighborhood of San Francisco’s Chinatown that she remembers from her childhood is fading, with businesses failing and families moving out. She’s even more surprised to learn she has inherited her grandmother’s restaurant.

The neighborhood seer reads the restaurant’s fortune in the leaves: Natalie must cook three recipes from her grandmother’s cookbook to aid her struggling neighbors before the restaurant will succeed. Unfortunately, Natalie has no desire to help them try to turn things around–she resents the local shopkeepers for leaving her alone to take care of her agoraphobic mother when she was growing up. But with the support of a surprising new friend and a budding romance, Natalie starts to realize that maybe her neighbors really have been there for her all along. (Goodreads)
Goodreads

I received an eARC of Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune needs trigger warnings for parental death (literally opening the book), disparagement of mental illness and agoraphobia that is challenged on the page, and grieving.

Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune is a stunning book. It’s full of lush food descriptions and a beautiful depiction of complicated grief and family expectations. I loved the way we got to truly become a part of Natalie’s community while she rebuilt her role there and her family’s restaurant, from Old Wu to Celia to Meimei.

It also included frank discussions of mental health issues within communities that have historically struggled to deal with them, and it did it beautifully.

The prose is absolutely purple in the best way. The recipes got a little overwhelming at times and could maybe have been cut down a little or included as full recipes in an appendix in the back, but I loved reading Qiao’s notes throughout the story. It gave me the feeling I get when I read my own grandmother’s recipes.

I loved it, and I think you will, too. You can pick up a copy from Amazon, Indiebound, The Ripped Bodice and The Book Depository through our affiliate links.

After the loss of her mother, Natalie Tan returns home to Chinatown in San Francisco. She and her mother had a very difficult and estranged relationship, so returning home is complicated to say the least. Additionally, she finds her neighborhood a worn down shell of what it used to be, and thanks to a little bit of fortune, acceptance, and a whole lot of love, Natalie finds her place! The imagery in this book was phenomenal and my mouth watered at the mention of all of the delicious food. I could picture myself in Natalie's shoes and felt like I can relate to her love of cooking, and some of her flaws as well.

I set out to read this book, thinking it would be a nice fluffy read but it was so much more! It has so much heart and the writing is beautiful. I can't wait to read whatever Ms. Lim comes out with next!

5 out of 5 stars for Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim which was published June 2019!

A HUGE thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Natalie Tan returns home to San Francisco’s Chinatown upon hearing of her mother’s death. The estranged women hadn’t spoken in seven years, and Natalie left her troubled mother at home to pursue her dream of becoming a chef. After traveling the world, Natalie is drawn home to discover more than all the restaurants in the world could offer.

She finds herself in a withered version of the neighborhood she knew. Businesses are struggling; relationships are straining; and families are leaving. With the death of her mother, Natalie is left without any family. However, she has inherited her grandmother’s once vibrant restaurant, and the neighborhood seer gives her a prophecy which could save the community. Natalie must discover her own sense of place and responsibility, while exploring her family’s past. Natalie Tan unearths magical possibilities, delicious recipes, and most importantly, a new sense of family.

Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim is colorful and expressive with a sprinkle of magic. This debut novel incorporates themes of family, duty, and heritage into a well-woven narrative about food, community, and love. Rich in visual descriptions and whimsical writing, this book is a charming read.

What an unexpected delight! Roselle Lim’s novel is equal parts moving story of a family & loss as well as a magical gourmet fantasy! Her ability to interweave both into a beautiful story was an absolute pleasure to read.

Lim handled the seriousness of estranged families, mental illness, and depression with skill and sensitivity yet somehow was able to be light hearted and down right magical at the same time. The balance of the two felt natural and surprisingly worked.

Her characters from the Chinatown neighborhood had depth and were well-rounded and added to the storyline. Sometimes I get lost when there are so many characters but her writing kept it clear and they only enhanced Natalie’s story of reconnecting to her roots and finding her dreams.

Natalie’s own story of losing her mother and father was moving and hit close to home. She was a very sympathetic and likable character that you couldn’t help to root for even when she didn’t always do the right thing.

And did you hear that? That was my stomach growling after reading about all that glorious food! The smells and tastes she described made me so hungry. What I wouldn’t do for a plate of her dumplings.

Highly recommend!

This was a beautiful story about family, culture, food & honor.
Not only did it have one of the most beautiful and captivating writing styles i have ever found in the romance/contemporary genre., but everything from the food descriptions to the character development and relationships left me with the warmest of hearts.
although not a main part of the story, the romance was so incredibly cute (and because of that, I did wish a few more scenes between Natalie and Daniel could've been added - I didn't feel as satisfied with their relationship as I felt satisfied about everything else in the story).
I love Natalie's journey though. I loved seeing her grow and gain strength to follow her dream, but also loved seeing her learn from her past mistakes and make sure to fix her mistakes and grow as a human being as well.
The neighborhood dynamic was also one that I really enjoyed: I loved seeing Natalie's interactions with all of her neighbors; those scenes were a joy to read.
Lastly, I felt like I needed a small paragraph to say that I just loved the cat: the cat really stole all the scenes, as animals always naturally do for me.
This book was heartwarming and inspiring, and so so magical. It really pulled at my heartstrings and made me feel all the great feelings I yearn to feel when I pick up a novel.

Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune follows a young woman named Natalie who returns home to Chinatown in San Francisco after her mother’s death. Natalie has been away from home for several years and has been estranged from her mother due to them having arguments on how she should live her life . Natalie is grieving, is struggling with the fact that she never really got to say goodbye to her mother, and feels extreme guilt for being away from home for so long. Going home is a familiar feeling for Natalie while it’s also strange as the neighborhood has changed so much.

Readers see Natalie struggle with her past and feels like her mother’s agoraphobia kept her from having certain experiences growing up and has separated her from the community. Upon coming back home she decides to take over her grandmother’s restaurant and restore it to its glory. Natalie is given her mother grandmother’s recipe book which happens to have some sort of special magical powers (magical realism of some sort) and she has to fulfill a prophecy of helping three of the neighboring businesses and her community in order to have a successful restaurant and to rebuild her neighborhood

One thing Natalie is very passionate about is cooking. She loves to eat delicious food all the time and try new recipes in the kitchen. As Natalie begins to cook her grandmother’s recipes, she starts to find joy and inspiration in her life again. Cooking helps her to reconnect with community she grew up with and reminisce about her childhood. Cooking provides a source strength to move forward and stop harboring mistakes/regrets from the past.

I liked the vivid description of the neighborhood and how even though the businesses is starting to decline that everyone looks out for each other like family. I could picture the shops and restaurants lining the street due to Lim’s great attention to detail. I have been to San Francisco’s Chinatown and it’s one my favorite places I’ve visited.

I love all of the recipes featured and the mouth watering food descriptions. Everything sounds so good!! I enjoyed the concept of Lao Lao’s (Natalie’s grandmother) recipes are not are not only traditional but magical as well. They serve a purpose to help others solve problems, mend relationships, and helps the community to reunite once again.

One of my most favorite things about this novel is the theme o food. It brings people together, cheers people up, mends relationships, makes people nostalgic for memories. Food is a simple thing, but it can be so powerful and Natalie’s recipes are evidence of that in the story.

This is such a beautifully written novel about food, family, tradition, healing, and mental illness. Lim’s writing is engaging and lyrical and it had me engrossed to beginning to end. The characters felt very real and reading the story through Natalie’s eyes was emotional. I liked reading about her journey of honing her craft but also healing from the past and moving towards the future. Recommended read!

*Trigger warning: Death

I came across this one while browsing Goodreads and it looked like something I would normally enjoy but for some reason, I just couldn't connect with it. The story itself was really slow and Natalie Tan just wasn't a character that I'll remember much about. It took me foooorrreeeevvvverrrr to get this book read and when I finally finished, I was glad to finally be done with it. It was so easy for me to walk away from this book because, to be honest, I was bored. I thought that I'd enjoy it a lot more than I actually did. Sometimes the magical realism stuff works for me but for some reason, it didn't completely work for me here. I did think parts of the book were interesting. I thought it was interesting that the state of the neighborhood was tied into how well Natalie's grandma's restaurant did. I also enjoyed seeing some of Natalie's magic with the food but overall, this book was just okay to me. I'm seeing that a lot of people enjoyed this book but as much as I wanted that to be the case for me, it wasn't and that bums me out.

Grade: 2.5 out of 5

Firstly, I would like to thank you to Rafael from The Royal Polar Bear Reads for hosting an International Blog Tour for Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune and I was so happy to be part of this tour. Thank you for selecting me to be part of this tour.

I think nowadays I am more like to not let myself read the synopsis of the book and I guess I like the way it is. That way it let me into the story with an open mind and heart. Now that I mentioned it, Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune is definitely full of surprises and it warms my heart throughout reading the book and I enjoy it.

Natalie Tan has been running away from home for 7 years and now she is back to her hometown after she got the news about her mother died. She was resent for not being there with her mother and letting her ego conquered her up. She regrets that but with the support she received from her Celia - her mother's close friend, her neighbor - she builds her courage to get to run the restaurant that she inherited from her grandmother.

Oh my gosh! I love this book so much that I don't even know where to begin. My mouthwatering with the mention of the food everywhere in this book. It makes me really hungry and I could not stop imagining the food. Like seriously.

"Food comforts, heals, and is the only lover I will ever take." - Roselle Lim, Natalie Tan'sBook of Luck and Fortune.

Okay, let's get into the important part of this book. Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune is filled with the love from the community, how they look for each other, gives help, and be there when one needs them. It was really so good to see how they embrace each other in their lives and how they fought to ensure their business still open despite the difficulty they face. I love all the characters in this book.

"No matter how much you try to direct your fate, eventually, she finds a way to do what she wants." - Roselle Lim, Natalie Tan'sBook of Luck and Fortune.

Natalie Tan, the MC of this book, though she opts for running away rather than fix the problem as a better option however with the support, words of courage from the people around her, she makes the best decision in her life to stay and restore the restaurant business. She definitely has a skill in cooking, she cooks from her heart and serve the customer to eat and the people feel happy with the food. Good food brought people together.

"You cook like your grandmother, which means you cook from your heart. Your food is so delicious because of how much you care and joy you put into it." - Roselle Lim, Natalie Tan'sBook of Luck and Fortune.

Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune is filled with magical, a bit of mystical, love, warm, the twist, and delicious food. Roselle's writing is really good that it seeped into my heart that I could imagine the food that been mentioned, the warmth and love from the characters and it has been a while since I last read a book that makes me cried so much. Also, I learned something new from this book on agoraphobia that the author has explained it what has caused Natalie's mother anxiety. Other than that, a spice of romance in this book makes it even more lovable.

Overall, I was...I couldn't hide the satisfaction from the book. It was really a wonderful read. It's a slow burn read and it's really worth. Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune will live in my heart and memory for so long and I fully recommended you to read this book.

Rating: 4.5 stars / 5 stars

I went into Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune with a certain understanding of the book based on how it was marketed and when I finally read it, it was something completely different from what I expected. I do think that played a role in how I ultimately felt so let me just get those things out of the way now: this is not a romance and while it is contemporary, it's also magical realism. Natalie Tan returns home to San Francisco for the first time in seven years when she find outs her mother has passed away. The last time they spoke, they fought over Natalie's decision to leave and pursue a career as a chef. So you can imagine her surprise to come home and find out that she's inherited her grandmother's restaurant in Chinatown, a community she's belonged to since childhood and whose businesses are now failing. But Natalie doesn't know anything about the history of said restaurant or how to even run one. She turns to the neighborhood seer who tells her that she must cook three recipes from her grandmother's cookbook to help struggling neighbors and only then will her restaurant succeed. As she does this we learn a lot about Natalie, her childhood, what it was like to grow up with an agoraphobic mother and the neighbors who turn out to be friends. I enjoyed a lot of the themes and concepts throughout the book such as a good meal being a balm for the soul, the importance of community, and the representation of Asian culture. What I didn't like was the writing which I found kind of juvenile, a "romance" that was very instant and way under-developed to the point where it didn't make sense and certain reveals were so jarringly done that I had to re-read passages to understand what just happened. As much as I loved what the book was trying to do and be, I wasn't a fan of the execution.

Do I recommend? It's not something I would personally recommend but I know people who enjoyed far more than I did. My favorite thing ended up being the recipe inserts (are they real because I'd like to cook them!) and the inclusion of Filipino food. If you're genuinely interested in this though, I'd recommend borrowing from the library.

It’s the first @berkleyromance book that I am DNF-ing 😢😢
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The premise of the book was really sweet, Natalie returns to her hometown after her mother passes away and then decides to re-open the restaurant previously owned by her grandmother.
I just wasn’t feeling the book. I have read more then 50% of it, but it’s a bit drag for me. Plus all the recipes and talk about food is a bit boring. I personally don’t like cooking, just eating 🍽 so this wasn’t up my alley.
Other than my unpopular review, I have read all positive feedbacks about this book. So if you want to give this book a try, PLEASE DO! Maybe you will love it! And then come tell me about it!!
The book was published on 11th June 2019.

3.5 stars. There’s a lot to admire about this story exploring grief, food, family, and gentrification.

When I first learned about this book, it was presented as magical realism. I’m by no means an expert on that genre so I can’t offer much commentary. However, gentrification is an interesting comparison to the colonization often subverted in magical realism. Gentrification is a big issue in San Francisco and I myself had a hard time finding a place to live when I lived there. I didn’t spend much time in Chinatown but the way it was depicted in the book, and the way gentrification has impacted the city as a whole, rang true to my experience. It is heartbreakingly awful to watch families and businesses get pushed out of their neighborhood and therefore it was all the more gratifying to watch Natalie try to figure out a way to save the neighborhood through her cooking.

The food is the star of this book and I often wished I could reach through the page and eat whatever Natalie was cooking. Her grandmother’s recipes sounded amazing and I loved how her notes on who she cooked for and what the dish represented. It made me wish food actually had magical healing powers. By reading her grandmother’s recipes, Natalie is able to forge a bond with the woman she never knew and understand other aspects of her mother.

Natalie and her mother were estranged when her mother died. It was interesting to see the funeral and mourning customs, especially Natalie’s decision to wear white for the full year, instead of the usual period of time. She often struck me as immature but there were times she did rise to the occasion. I confess I didn’t fully understand the reason for their estrangement. Knowing her daughter wanted to be a chef, why didn’t her mother tell her about the restaurant’s existence? Had she done that, Natalie likely never would have left SF. I could understand Natalie’s desire to break free from her mother and felt so bad for the way her mother’s agoraphobia affected her. It made me angry at the neighbors for not stepping in. But it was also nice to see Natalie remember the good about the neighborhood and to realize it wasn’t as black and white as she thought. The neighbors function as a found family and I’m always here for that.

The romance with Daniel felt like an afterthought. It was too insta-love for my taste and their reactions as things inevitably fell apart did not entirely make sense for people who have not known each other long. The story would have been stronger if it had focused on Natalie’s attempts to bring the restaurant back and rediscover her neighbors. And if you know how much I love a good love story, that’s saying something.

Lim is an intriguing new voice to watch and I look forward to seeing what she’ll come up with next.

CW: death of a parent, grief, agoraphobia

The story begins strongly with the death of Natalie’s mom. She will then embark on a journey to reconcile her past before she can secure her future. I did not expect that there will be magical realism involved in the storytelling, and it is such a pleasant surprise. I love the subtle magical elements. It is somehow reminiscent of my two other favorites “Like Water for Chocolate” and “Chocolat”. Though I thought some of the conversations were a bit stilted, it’s all very forgivable and even adds to the charm.

The novel has one of the sweetest romance ever–it’s certainly worth the read just to experience all the cute moments between Natalie and the geek hottie Daniel. However for me I just love how the soul of the story is still about the community and rejuvenating the old Chinatown. It’s all about building communities and embracing your culture. I’m all for modernization and moving forward with time, but preserving culture and heritage is of utmost importance if we don’t want to lose our sense of identity and belonging.

Big thanks to Berkley Publishing for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and participation on the book’s intl blog tour.

When I finally picked this book up to read, I was surprised by the content of what the entire story entitles. Even though, the title suggested it, I couldn't really grasp to the idea. It was magical, hopeful and all about the prosperity of the community. But most importantly, it was about food that could make the people come together and rejoice in whatever the problems they may be facing.

I was really pleasantly surprised by the magical element of this story. Of Natalie laolao's recipe book, the good and the bad that it can bring to the result of her cooking.

At first, I find the flow of the plot to be a tad too cliche. It became too predictable until it didn't anymore. Suddenly, there were twists and turns arising along the story and it was then that I hadn't quite given up this story yet. That I hadn't listed and categorised it as a story that was mediocre and as I mentioned before, too cliche for its own good. I know, I shouldn't judge a book so quickly and read the whole thing until the very last page to finally judge the book as a whole. I'll try to take note of that from now on!

This story not only highlights the things that I mentioned before, it was also about family, grief and feeling like a total failure. Its the kind of feeling that we might feel like its just us against the wide world. I'm sure that every one out of three of those we have at least once experienced before. It would be the thing that makes us vulnerable and attacks us as a whole. It sucks but it sure does happen.

Anyways, to those who are feeling helpless and going through something that you just can't find the answers to, sometimes all it takes is to have a bite of your comfort food. It may not solve all your problems right away but food is great and it usually makes a lot of people happy. And if that's what it takes, you need to grab that chance.