I waivered between a 3 and 4. I would say a solid 3.5. Love the premise. It was slow to start but then picked up. Definitely did not see the twist with Jasmine. The writing was beautiful, I felt the anguish. But the ending seemed to fall flat, very rushed with lots of loose ends left open. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC.

The Leftover Woman is an example of a good author writing a story that failed to connect with me. Jean Kwok failed to engage me in this story which hurts because I have enjoyed her writing before but her newest attempt failed to connect with me.

Gripping and sad at times, I struggled to get into the right mindset for the story. I’ll go back and finish this for sure, but I need to be in that dark mood.

Thank you William Morrow for my Netgalley copy of THE LEFTOVER WOMAN by Jean Kwok, out on 10/10/23!

This is one of the most unique thrillers I have ever read! I seriously could not put it down and the story was so original, and complex, and absolutely incredible. The Leftover Woman is an evocative family drama and riveting mystery about the ferocious pull of motherhood.

Jasmine Yang arrives in NYC from a rural Chinese village without any money or support, fleeing a controlling husband, and on a search to find her missing daughter who her husband secretly turned over for adoption with the One Child Policy in place.

Meanwhile, publishing executive Rebecca Whitney is rich, has a career she is rebuilding after a humiliating disqualification from a prestigious award by one of the books she edited, with a handsome husband with secrets, an adopted daughter she adores but is struggling to connect with her culturally, and a nanny helping her balance the demands of it all.

This book went somewhere I was not expecting at ALL and I loved every minute of it. Wow wow wow. Please add this to your TBR!!! You will not regret it! It is an astounding exploration of identity, motherhood, and cultural and class differences in opposite parts of the globe. The plot moves so fast and both women are fascinating to follow, with such complex happenings and meanderings. The timing, writing, pacing, and absolute MASTERY of a storyline were just impeccable. 100 stars for this one!!! Will read anything Kwok writes after this breathtaking reading experience I wish I could relive over and over again.

I found Jean Kwok's latest novel, The Leftover Woman, to be a page-turner from start to finish. The story is told though the perspectives of two women who share a love for one child.

Jasmine was born in China and raised as the less valuable twin (the female) in the family. When she was married at 14 her bride price made her parents happy but what joys she found in her partnership with Wen lessened with each year that she did not produce the son that was needed to carry on his family name. When Jasmine learns of the terrible lie that Wen told her after the birth of their daughter she secretly begins a plan to immigrate to New York. Once there she is immediately overwhelmed by the search for work that will help her to repay the Chinese smugglers that brought her into the country. Without the paperwork to obtain a legal job, she ends up working as a cocktail waitress in a strip club that caters to Asian clients.

Rebecca is a senior editor at a renowned publishing company but the book opens at an extremely rocky moment in her career. The latest author that she promoted has been proven to be a fraud and suddenly her reputation and that of the company her father created are on the line. She is hustling hard to land a new author while fending off an attack from a former colleague and attempting to stay in the good graces of her boss. Rebecca's marriage and happy home life with her adopted daughter seem to be solid fixtures at the start of the book but as these relationships begin to fray she starts to suspect that her nanny is sabotaging everything.

This novel included many fascinating insights into the world of immigrant workers, the ramifications of the Chinese one-child policy, the milieu of book publishing and more. The Leftover Woman was a winner for me with its complex characters and fast-moving plot.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review an uncorrected advance copy of this book.

**Thanks to Netgalley/William Morrow/Harper Collins for the e-ARC of this book**

This is the story of 2 woman in very different circumstances tied together by one common thread. I won't go into too much plot detail but definitely pick this one up if you are looking for a powerful story about what it means to be an immigrant, a mother, and a woman.

The story hooked me from the beginning. I enjoyed Jasmine's perspective more than Rebecca's because I loved seeing her determination to do what she needed to do. I didn't 100% understand the relevance of the Mason subplot or really anything regarding her previous publishing scandal. I don't know that it added anything to the story. I found the tension between Rebecca and her husband to be too contrived. There was a twist in this book that I genuinely didn't see coming! The ending tied up the story nicely and I always love when we get an epilogue from the future to see where things ended up.

Overall, an enjoyable read!

This book is a perfect five. It quickly absorbs the reader into a mother’s love for her child.

The book has two POVs.

Rebecca lives in NYC and works for a demanding publisher. She’s happily married to a good-looking professor. Her life is hectic with her taxing career but what she really wants is a baby – if she can fit it in to her schedule.

Jasmine lives in a small village of China. At 14 years old, her parents auction her off to a man that is 12 years older. In a country where parents can have only one child, she needs to deliver a baby boy to make her husband happy and proud. Every woman knows that it’s not so simple.

I’ve never heard the term “leftover woman” before which was how Jasmine felt at times. Yet it makes sense to think of how someone could feel unwanted and left behind, “like scraps on the table, uneaten food…of no use to anyone.”

This book was fast moving and exquisitely written with characters that were easy to visualize. It made me pause in parts that were highly suspenseful. The execution of the details and timing was on the mark. It’s an excellent choice for book clubs.

My thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of October 10, 2023.

This book messed me up emotionally. I couldn't put it down. A great story in which culture and wealth clash to form a book with the type of atmosphere that will keep you up late at night to finish. FIVE STARS!

A story of resilience and the depths in which a mother will go to protect her child . I enjoyed the cultural aspects of this book, but found it to be rather slow moving in some parts.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

I loved the first Jean Kwok book that I read, and was disappointed with her other two. I feel redeemed with this novel. Told by two women, Jasmine, a Chinese immigrant who is trying to figure out how to repay some debts, and Rebecca, a high class businesswoman raising an adopted daughter. There are twists in this novel, and there are difficult subjects to go through. I appreciated this story, though, and its depiction of life for these two very different women.

A story that pulls you in a grabs your heart!
Told from the POV of the mothers, yes, mothers, one gave birth and the other adopted the little girl. A birth mother Jasmine/Lucy, discovers the truth about her baby lost at birth, and now owes a great deal of money to the people that brought her from China.
The mother whom adopted little Fiona, a woman who desperately wanted a child, but she does still have a career, and thus the door opened for Lucy to come into her home.
This story has many twists and turns, along with danger lurking around the corner. There are also love stories, and there again will they be able to succeed with all the obstacles thrown into place.
Yes, this read is a page turner, and you have to read right to the epilogue for all the answers!
I'll be look for more reads by Jean Kwok!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher William Morrow, and was not required to give a positive review.

Jasmine Yang has left her abusive husband in China and arrives penniless in New York City to search for her young daughter who was taken from her at birth. Rebecca Whitney seemingly leads a dream life. She has a high-level publishing job, a handsome husband, and an adopted Chinese daughter.

The stories of these two women are intertwined with many surprising and suspenseful twists and turns.

This is the first Jean Kwok book I have read. It will not be the last. Thank you, William Morrow and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. The comments expressed are my own.

Book Title: The Leftover Woman
Author: Jean Kowk
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: October 10, 2023
My Rating: 4.3 Stars
Pages 288


As the title implies this is a story of woman who are over looked or ignored as if they don’t exist. These women are from different races, colors, and religions and are neglected as well as taken advantage of; then are left behind defenseless.

Story is told from the POV of Jasmine and Rebecca

Jasmine was sold to a powerful rich man when she was only fourteen. She was physically and verbally abused. She escapes this abuse by hiring the ‘Snake Heads’- (Chinese criminals who illegally transport Chinese citizens to other parts of the world).
She finds work at ‘Opium’ an underground strip club, serving cocktails trying to earn enough money to pay her debt to the Snake Heads.

Rebecca is a wealthy publishing executive who is a privileged Caucasian woman. She is married to a handsome, as well as intelligent Columbia University professor and they have an adopted Chinese daughter they named Fifi.

Jasmine gets the job as Fifi’s nanny. Rebecca decided that Jasmine doesn’t seem like the correct name for her and calls her Lucy. Jasmine hides the fact that she is still working at Opium; additionally hides that Fifi is really Fiona her daughter.

Story is great and yes emotional. - Jean Kwok does not disappoint!

This was my third Jean Kwok. Read “Girl in Translation’ also {book: Searching for Sylvie Lee] which I loved. I have been looking forward to this story.

Want to thank NetGalley and William Marrow for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 10, 2023.

Jasmine has been in the United States for several months, and she owes a significant sum of money to those who secured her passage. We find out why Jasmine was so adamant to come to the United States and to what limits she will go to pay off her debt to the "snakeheads."

On the other end of the income spectrum, we have Rebecca, a privileged editor who is coming off a professional scandal. She's married to her multilingual husband Brandon, but she was infertile and adopted a baby from China named Fiona (Fifi). As she is trying to redeem her professional credentials by wooing an author who writes a tale that mimics the one in this book, she hires a nanny named Lucy and is soon sidelined by evidence she finds in her home that doesn't line up. Suspicious of her husband, she gets to the bottom of what's going on.

Reminiscent of LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE and SUCH A FUN AGE, Jean Kwok delivers a slow-burn suspense that I really enjoyed.

It's difficult to figure out why this novel didn't resonate with me to the level of a 5 star. After some thinking, it felt like it was *too* short. I looked down after reading for a bit and found I was already at 34%. Along that same vein, it felt like we didn't spend enough time with the characters to really get to know them. I don't think they will stick with me like I would have wanted them to. For example, I can still remember how characters from SEARCHING FOR SYLVIE LEE stuck with me from years ago.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Leftover Woman
Jasmine Yang arrives in New York City. Jasmine is fleeing her abusive controlling husband Wen, without any family or friends for support. Jasmine’s goal throughout the book is to be reunited with her biological daughter. The clock is ticking though as Wen is on her trail. Rebecca Whitney seems to have it all a great career as a publishing executive, a wonderful husband and they don’t know it at the time their adopted daughter whose really Jasmine’s daughter and a nanny from China to watch over her. But things are not always what they seem.

Pros
I love the main characters of Jasmine and Rebecca two different women from different walks of life both culturally and economically. I also loved that Jasmine’s point of view was from the first person narrative. The twists that happened in the book you did not see happening which was another plus. I like the settings of both China and New York City.


Cons
I just wish the story didn’t have to end. Otherwise I have nothing bad to say about this book.

Overall
For my first time reading anything by Jean Kwok, I really enjoyed this novel. I can’t wait to read more from her in the future. Thank you Jean Kwok & Elle Anderson for the netgalley copy of The Leftover Woman. If you don’t have a physical or netgalley copy of The Leftover Woman, pre-order the book coming out on October 10th of this year.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to William Morrow and to the talented Jean Kwok for the opportunity. Jean Kwok is one of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint.

The reader is instantly drawn into Jasmine's world and is taken on an adventure with plenty of twists and turns. Jean possesses a talent for digging beneath the surface of all of her characters.

Always a joy to read one of her novels. It's hard to choose which one is my favorite. You don't want to miss The Leftover Woman.

This is a book about Jasmine, a Chinese woman living in the USA and Rebecca, an American white woman. They are connected by Fifi, Jasmine’s biological daughter and Rebecca’s adopted daughter. The book focuses on some serious issues and has a good thriller element!

I think Jean Kwok did a good job of discussing the very real and troubling topic of China’s one child rule and interracial adoptions. However, I found it difficult to relate to the characters. While immigrants may have to work in places like sex clubs, I found this off putting.

I couldn't put this one down--read it on a six hour flight! Kwok manages to explore so many themes, including motherhood, immigration, class, wealth, culture, family, trust, commitment, love, and secrets in what is essentially a mystery with a dramatic and satisfying climax. A recommended read!

Kwok certainly brings a great deal to the table with The Leftover Woman. First of all, I want to state that I learned a great deal from this novel. Different terms and references had me scurrying to Google to find information e.g. Snakeheads. That being said, personally, I felt there were gaps in the story. I had a difficult time connecting to the characters because I didn't have a depth of understanding to develop the empathy the author was cultivating. Honestly, I would rate this novel at a 3.5. Quality writing. Excellent pacing, but I believe the story needed more context before leaping to the situation at hand.