What Women Want by Maxine Mei-Fung Chung is an insightful and moving exploration of female desire and identity, delving into the lives of seven women through the lens of therapy. I found this book deeply thought-provoking. Chung's ability to bring her patients' stories to life is powerful, offering both empathy and a sense of realness that makes their struggles and breakthroughs relatable.

The narrative flows between moments of vulnerability and strength, making it a compelling read for anyone curious about the complexity of human emotions. It’s a book that invites reflection, making you think not just about what the women in the story want, but what you want as well. Thanks so much to Grand Central Publishing as well as NetGalley for the ARC provided!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an eARC.

Emotional, tense, unique and highly engaging content.

Idk maybe it’s just me. I couldn’t connect with this book. It was an interesting topic and take on the topic. Idk if it was me or the authors writing.

what women want was an eye opening look into all the different ways it is to be a woman. i usually struggle with nonfiction books but i likes this one!

This book follows several women through therapy and is written in such a way that it feels ripe to be picked up as a limited series. But, for me, the format took a bit away from the potential generalizations/self help vibe that I was a bit expecting.

i loved what this book attempted to do. i am all for reading about women's desires and wants and getting to witness them achieve those wants and desires in their own ways. unfortunately, with the way the author chose to tell these stories, i was not able to connect with them as much as i would have liked and anticipated. the authors writing felt forced, like it was trying too hard to have depth and mystery. i realized while reading that i was expecting more psychoanalytic insights into these characters since the author is a psychotherapist. there was some but it left me wanting more and not fully satisfied. with the saturation of discourse surrounding women and their wants and desires in media, i am looking for something that is unique in how it shares that discourse and this one fell a bit flat for me.

This intimate account of the lives of seven women as they work through therapy with the author is engrossing and very human. Whether their stories are relatable or not to you, it’s very interesting to get an understanding of what each of these women desire in their lives and relationships.

Additionally, the writing is beautiful and the storytelling is very well done. This makes this an easily readable book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I enjoy books about therapy and what a therapist writes about her clients. I find them intriguing. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I am giving this collection four stars.