Oh my goodness I liked this novel a lot!! At first, I was a bit skeptical as LAST TANG STANDING had too strong of a Crazy Rich Asian and Sex and the City vibes. (Doesn’t it say something that we automatically compare the next book set in Singapore to the only book we know that’s set in Singapore, CRA?) But as the story progressed, it became a strong, funny, heartfelt novel that I could not put down.

Andrea Tang, a 33 YO Chinese-Malaysian successful lawyer who lives in Singapore wishes for nothing but to make partner at her law firm. Even though she dislikes her job, she thinks it’s the next step in life. And of course marriage and kids. Even though she hasn’t given dating much thought and she rarely has the time thanks to work.. After immense pressure from family and her culture, she decides to jump into the dating world — all the dating apps and the whole shebang! But while Andrea is busy trying to figure out her career and dating life, she also needs to ask herself what it is that SHE truly wants in life.

While it took me some time to warm up to Andrea, towards the end, it felt like we were BFFs! I enjoyed reading about her friendships with Linda and Valerie, witnessed (and laughed so hard) some of her lowest moments. It was also enduring to see her romantic relationships fizzle and flourish. What I loved the most- despite all the societal expectations and pressure from family to marry and marry the “right breed” to “succeed,” in the end, she didn’t let anyone define her happiness and followed her heart.

While it was a slow-burning novel, and some parts were too nicely tied up, it didn’t take away from the novel as a whole. I enjoyed this novel very much. Made me miss Asia❤️

I enjoyed the quirky style of writing with diary entries and Andrea’s thought process. She’s so loveable and relatable, especially with the constant eating.
Also, as someone who’s Asian, I could relate to so many of these cultural references like parents wanting you to get a good job!
I loved going on Andrea’s romance journey. My favourite scenes were: the beginning where she’s with all her relatives, at the book club and the sweet ending.

Thank you to @putnambooks for the free review copy of Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho. This book is out in the world tomorrow (6/9).
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Now, I don’t read many gifted books these days. I’m totally a mood reader and so I’ve stopped requesting review copies and then pretty much stopped getting asked to review books. Not a problem for me, as I tend to binge buy used books and new releases alike. I have tons (hundreds) of unread books on my shelves and kindle and phone. But, when Putnam reached out and described this as Bridget Jones Diary meets Crazy Rich Asians, I knew I had to give it a chance. And let me tell you - they were exactly right in the description!
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Last Tang Standing is set in Singapore and centers around the Tang family (but more specifically Andrea Tang) as she tries to have it all - partnership at a big law firm, family, and love. Now, Andrea is in her mid-thirties and NOT IN A RELATIONSHIP. She’s getting tons of family pressure to couple up and start making babies. Told in diary format, this books follows Andrea’s last push towards making partner (and hopefully finding one of her own).
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I loved the diary format in this one and felt like the author really addressed some difficult subjects while keeping the book feeling light. Social class, race, gender, and religion are all roadblocks when it comes to Andrea’s work and relationships. I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes on future releases from @hellolaurenho and recommend that you check out Last Tang Standing (especially if you are a Bridget Jones or Crazy Rich Asians fan and looking for an escapist rom-com)!

This book was a winner. There are only a few books like this on the market, stories that talk about the life of rich Asians. It was funny and was a light read, perfect for the beach.
I am looking forward to the next installment! I highly recommend this book, 4 stars.

Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Last Tang Standing was a really fun summer (or any season) read that was perfect for the beach. Andrea Tang is a high powered lawyer on track to become partner with an amazing condo in Singapore, but what does that matter to her Chinese Malaysian family who just to see her married to a proper, family vetted husband? This was another one of those "hot mess tries to find love" stories, but it works and was a really enjoyable read. For an entertaining, light read, check out Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho from your local library or purchase it from your favorite local independent bookstore.

📚Book Review: Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho📚 Book Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Thank you for the gifted book @putnambooks!

When Putnam presented this one to me, they said it was Bridget Jones meets Crazy Rich Asians with this novel.

And they weren’t kidding!

We follow Andrea Tang as she navigates the fact that she’s still single at the age of 33. Which to her family, she might as well be an old spinster already. But Andrea just hasn’t found “the one” yet...or had she?

I loved that this book was written in diary form and I loved the Singapore location. There’s also a few footnotes to give us some cultural background and I always love that. I loved that she was a strong, independent woman but I also loved that she just wanted what everyone wants...love. And she doesn’t want it constantly thrown in her face that she doesn’t have it.

What I didn’t like about it was how controlling Eric is. But that’s also the point. I also didn’t like how it dragged on in some parts but it didn’t make or break the book. I also didn’t like that the main love interest is apparent immediately and how the main character doesn’t “see” it till like halfway through was a bit meh.

But all of that to say, it was enjoyable. And definitely would recommend it to my friends and followers. I could actually see one being a super cute movie!
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I had HIGH hopes for this one based on the marketing, but I just was let down. The storyline felt meandering and fluffy, and I never connected with the main character. I think it’s important to note that pandemic stress has impacted even my reading life, and maybe I’d have been less harsh on this one in another time. But right now, it was not the right read for me. My thanks to the publisher for an early copy to read!

Last Tang Standing is a wickedly witty, hilarious quick read that definitely delivers its advertised Bridget Jones- like cringeworthy but likable protagonist. We meet Andrea Tang, a successful lawyer who is struggling between familial, cultural expectations and her unexpected attraction to her office nemesis.

A fun, light read— I enjoyed it immensely! Being an East Asian woman familiar with law, I enjoyed the humorous take on the office politics of the field, as well as the snobby air of posh Asian society.
But not being an ownvoices reviewer for some of the demographic discussed, I cannot speak to the accuracy of the representation shown to the ethnic and religious minorities in Malaysia.

The Last Tang Standing is described as Bridget Jones meets Crazy Rich Asians, and I agree with the caveat that I’ve seen the movie version of those books. I’d also add that it reminded me a tiny bit of The Hating Game.

This book is told through the hilarious diary entries of 33-year-old Andrea Tang. She’s fulfilled her traditional Chinese’s mother’s wishes by becoming a corporate attorney—a career she’s good at but doesn’t love, but in the marriage department, she’s a complete failure. With no prospects on the horizon and her cousin’s unexpected marriage announcement, she’s about to become the last unmarried member of the Tang clan. On top of that, she’s in a battle for partnership at her firm with her super-cute, engaged office mate Suresh. A chance meeting with wealthy entrepreneur Eric Deng (Andrea thinks he’s a waiter, not the owner of the mansion where she’s attending an elite book club—three guesses on whether or not she read the book) offers Andrea a peek into the life her mother wants for her, but is it the life Andrea wants?

This book was a mixed bag for me. I liked a lot. It was laugh out loud funny and I was definitely routing for Andrea to figure out a path to happiness. Her friends were hysterical, although some of their antics seemed a little far-fetched. I didn’t mind going with it because their antics were really fun. The romance in the book didn’t work as well for me. It felt like relationships changed from enemies to friends to more back to enemies without the beats to support it. And a lot of things could have been cleared up with a simple conversation. Instead there were a lot of deleted unread texts, blocked numbers, and not reading heartfelt letters. There was also a lot of drinking in this book. Full disclosure, I’m not a drinker, so I’m not the best judge of what’s normal, but this seemed excessive and a tad concerning in the midst of an otherwise funny book.

This was definitely an enjoyable read if you’re not looking for a really clear romantic thread and the characters were fantastically eccentric and memorable.

Thank you to @netgalley and @peguinbooks for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have no idea why I stalled with this book because it was such a ride!
Andrea Tang is now one of my favorite fictional characters of all time!
Last Tang Standing is only similar to Crazy Rich Asians in terms of the rich Singaporeans/Malaysians in the book (as such I think this comparison does the book more disservice than favour).

Other than that, this book follows Andrea Tang and her life decisions.
We see her be extremely introspective and grow to accept herself as well as be more tender with herself.

This book is more comedy than romance — the romance did provide a brilliant secondary theme.
I’d say Last Tang Standing is more a character driven story than it is plot driven; that feature made the reading experience much better because you aren’t too sure whether it’s the latter or former trail that the story will take.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and more people should pick this book up!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was fun watching Andrea's journey from trying to check off all the right boxes to finding out what she really wanted from life. Her back and forth and office politics with Suresh were hilarious.

Last Tang Standing had some funny moments that I enjoyed reading aloud to my partner, but the heroine never figures her shit out, the fat shaming is gross, and the love triangle dragged on without enough emotional payoff to meet my romance-loving needs. If you miss Bridget Jones’s Diary, and wish it was set in a world with only people of color (God, yes) this book is similar enough in tone that you might want to give it a try. I appreciated having a woman of color depicted as a high-powered lawyer, and the neurotic lawyer archetype might be attractive to some readers. But the book just wasn’t funny enough to make me want to spend several hours in Andrea’s negative mindset. Despite the very wealthy characters, this didn’t provide an enjoyable fantasy of financial security and luxury unless you care about designer bags more than I do. Instead, Andrea and her circle felt dysfunctional and depressing. I usually adore difficult heroines, but Andrea is frustrating because she can’t decide whether to take care of herself or wait in a state of not-taking-care-of-herself for someone else to show up and manage her life for her. Her story failed to provide either escapism, or give me realistically well-rounded characters worth rooting for.

Full review: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/last-tang-standing-by-lauren-ho/

Last Tang Standing is Malaysian author Lauren Ho’s debut book. It is an absolutely fabulous story set in Singapore. I loved every bit of it — for the world Ho brought to life and the people whose story she tells.

While Last Tang Standing has been touted as a cross between Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding and Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, I posit that it is neither. Ho’s book doesn’t exist in the rarified circles of Kwan’s book, nor does it exist in the irreverent circles of Fielding’s book. Ho has carved out a niche for herself by positioning her book in the hyper-competitive and commonplace sphere of legal eagles and the pressure Singaporean society exerts on its young to be successful.

Full Review: https://frolic.media/book-of-the-week-last-tang-standing-by-lauren-ho/

Fans of Crazy Rich Asians will find some similarities in themes of family pressure on the young, beautiful and single, but be assured that Andrea Tang is her own person. The story follows Andrea's quest for what she thinks she wants in life-a big promotion and a romance that gets her family off her back. It just didn't prove to be a simple task. Well done and set in the spectacular city of Singapore, I highly recommend this one!

I wanted to like this, but the story just seemed like it was trying too hard to be another Crazy Rich Asians. I wasn't able to finish the book.

Was really looking forward to reading this book based on the reviews. Crazy Rich Asians meets Bridget Jones? Sign me up! But was sadly disappointed and DNF. Might try again later.

I think this book had a lot of potential but it was way toooo long. It felt like I had a hard time getting into the book and then once I did it kind of drug on. I also wasn't super invested in any of the characters. Although much different reads I preferred Crazy Rich Asians.

Last Tang Standing is quite the slow burn, and it takes a lil time to get into the story, but once you do you’re sucked in. Andrea, the protagonist is so relatable with her struggles and you can see how one’s culture, family, and society affects the decisions you make. Andrea questions her career choice and her views on family compared to what is excepted of her. This book shows the pressure of society and familial expectations, specifically Andrea’s Chinese-Malaysian culture. I really loved reading about Andrea’s culture, and it definitely reminded me at times of my own family and life! This is a great book, it was well written and features great characters. I’m also glad to see more Asian representation as well! There was also some great humor throughout.

I liked this. It reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians. The book is written in Andrea’s diary entries. Andrea Tang is the last single woman in her family or the last single Tang standing (hence the title). She’s 33, a lawyer, and possibly a borderline alcoholic. Andrea catalogs her adventures with a much younger man and a much older man, fighting with the lawyer (and competition for partner) who shares her office, and hanging out with her fabulous friends. It was a quick read! I liked it.

Gosh this book is so funny. Why don't I read chick lit again? Oh right, that's because they're usually about white characters (not that it is a bad thing), and I can't relate. Last Tang Standing is a rom com novel written by an Asian author for an Asian audience. The struggles and family expectations are all too real.

Andrea is our 33 year old protagonist, who has hit all of the Asian parental expectations, except for one thing. She's still single. Single at over 30 in traditional Asian households is a serious misdemeanour. It might be more relaxed for the Asian diaspora living abroad, but this story is set in Singapore. If not her parents, her extended family and friends are also all up in her dating business. She meets a few eligible men, but who will she choose? I won't continue, lest I spoil it.

I absolutely loved this book and finished it in one sitting. It's a traditional rom com narrative, and it doesn't try to be anything else. It can be enjoyed by everyone for an incredibly cute and hilarious read. For Asian readers, particularly those from Singapore and Malaysia, this will be extra special, because all the little details in which this story has been put together scream Asian culture. Like how the Asian aunties are always up in your business. The need to compete for career and financial status. The prejudices between different ethnic backgrounds, religions, and careers. All that to say is that this is a really funny rom com for all, but for the Asian reader, the characters feel like our family members and friends.