4.25 out of 5. I had no expectations starting this book, and I was so engaged by the end. The twists and turns are amazing and the character development is very well done. It is one of those books that you really do not know who to root for - sophies choices all around and really complicated life decisions. A great family relationship mystery.

Pub date: 10/10/23
Genre: mystery, ownvoices, family drama
Quick summary: Jasmine arrives in NYC from China hoping to find the daughter who was taken from her. She becomes a nanny for the wealthy Rebecca - and that decision will change both of their lives.

Jean Kwok is a favorite author of mine - I love how she explores the immigrant experience. This book was easy to fall into from the beginning, and I enjoyed getting to know Jasmine and Rebecca. I've struggled with some slow-paced reads lately, but this one felt exciting and taut at only 288 pages. There are plenty of twists - some you may see coming, some you likely won't. If you enjoy contemporary fiction exploring family and motherhood, check this one out!

Thank you to William Morrow for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book reminded me more of a more recent book of hers (Sylvia Lee) that I read and enjoyed I think Jean Kwok's writing has only improved over time. I did read one or two of her earlier books and enjoyed the stories, but I think there is a greater sophistication to the later books. I'm so happy I could read this one. I will definitely be reading more of Kwok's books in the future.

This was a very interesting book because it was between two women named rebecca and jasmine. This was part love story part And how things can go really badly. They talked a lot about issues in this book, especially about china and the one child policy. Women were forced to give up their girls because they needed to have a boy. Jasmine was abandoned saw her uncle and her grandmother took her in. She had a difficult life in china. She was forced to marry at 14 to this man name W a n g. She had another boy. She really loved and he loved her back. But they could not marry.. Wing was very abusive to her there was really hard for her. Rebecca was a very upscaled person and her father was a publishing company and she'd just decided to take a year off and travel. She meets an american there in china and they fall in love. He was friends with WAN. G. This man becomes a very important part of this book. So so Rebecca and this man had a very happy life in America. But things were gonna turn really fast.. They had a daughter who was adopted from china. Jasmine found out she had the child and was not dead. She was adopted and taken to America. She wanted her childbacks so bad. So she paid these men to take her to America. Things got really crazy there she changed her name to lucy. She became a nanny to this child. Things became really wild after this. She also meets up With her old boyfriend and she was shocked to see him there. In america. She need I need to pay these people up so she became Waiters in a sex club. This book said many tristan terms and her ex husband was also Involved. Rebecca's husband was also an Involved in this craziness. Is it really great i'm doing to this book There's a really great ending to this book

I love books that explore impossible situations, and THE LEFTOVER WOMAN is one such story.

Books about motherhood never fail to resonate with me. The cultural practice of China's one baby rule has always been intriguing to me and I love the way transracial adoption was explored here. The desperation, sacrifice, and primal need to be re-united with one's child seemed so realistic in the way it was portrayed.

I loved the family drama with a mystery woven throughout that kept me on my toes! It was smartly-plotted and will be a win for a broad range of readers. This was my first book by Jean Kwok and certainly won't be my last.

Many thanks to William Morrow for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This family drama with a mystery kept me reading until the end. When Jasmine Yang escapes from her small village in China and a brutal marriage she goes to New York City in search of her daughter that she was told had died at birth. China has a "one child policy" and because the baby was a girl her husband sold her to a couple in the US. Jasmine is in New York City illegally and is penniless but desperate to find her daughter, When she meets well-to-do Rebecca Whitney who has adopted her daughter she is torn because Rebecca has hired a Chinese nanny to care for the child and it is obvious that she is loved and well cared for. However, there is more to this story and as twists and secrets are revealed the reader will be completely caught up in this story.

The Leftover Woman was published on October 10th and would be a great book for a book club to discuss. Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

Kwok has crafted a well-written and bingeable story about adoption and motherhood. I feel like it’s a disservice to be marketing this as a mystery/thriller though, it definitely lies strongly in general fiction. the ‘mystery’ elements are pretty straightforward and obvious, most of the little reveals are just waiting for the characters to catch up. Jasmine and Rebecca were both interesting, dynamic characters to follow, and a lot of class commentary gave the writing a personal touch.

Unputdownable! A beautiful, multifaceted story that kept me hooked until the very end. This is one everyone should bump up on their tbr's!

The Leftover Woman is a moving story of a Chinese woman who was told her baby daughter died only to discover that she was really adopted by an American couple. Her husband had given the baby away under the one child rule in China, as he was hoping for a son. Jasmine runs away to the US terribly in debt to the snakeheads, who got her into the country illegally. Desperate to find her daughter she is literally willing to do anything to get her daughter back.

Meanwhile, Rebecca Whitely has the perfect life: she’s an amazing editor, her husband a handsome professor and their adopted Chinese daughter is the love of their lives.

Read what happens when ultimately these 2 women’s worlds collide!

Recommend!

I was SO wrapped up in this story! We follow two women, both struggling to be the best mothers they can be while also not completely losing themselves. Jasmine has fled China and an abusive husband in search of the daughter taken from her at birth. Rebecca is facing the biggest challenge she’s ever had at her prestigious publishing job and might be losing her husband. Although living in completely different worlds, Jasmine’s that of an immigrant with few resources available to her and Rebecca’s that of a very wealthy white woman with nearly everything at her disposal, both women find themselves in danger of losing what they love most and desperate to keep it. In the midst of these more domestic dramas are other mysteries you will want to solve alongside these women. Highly recommend!

Thank you, Netgalley, for the e-ARC of this title!

I am super late in writing this review. I think this was the best book that I read in 2023! It's my first book by Jean Kwok and I couldn't put it down. I have been recommending this novel to everyone! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I loved Girl in Translation and anticipated another book that I would like equally as well. I was disappointed to find a book that seemed to have been written to draw attention to the foibles of cross cultural adoption and the attitudes toward women in China.

The plot was full of surprises, but the characters fell flat for me. Anthony seemed to have been created to be a martial arts instructor so I assumed Jasmine was going to need those skills. Jasmine treated him terribly and he barely noticed, yet a large part of the book was developing their childhood friendship, which grew tedious. I struggled with her willingness to snatch her daughter away from her adoptive parents, a purpose she was dedicated to.

Truly she had been treated badly but I still didn’t find her sympathetic. Clearly by other responses most readers didn’t share my feelings so I think it’s a case of me not being the right reader for this book. Thanks to NegGalley for providing me this ARC.

This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster. The strength of motherhood, the struggle of immigrants, and cultural practices are weaved together to tell the most beautiful story I have read in a long while. Keep your tissues ready for this one. Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my review.

4.5
This novel is a combination of family drama and mystery. Jean Kwok tells an interesting and thoroughly engrossing story which takes place mostly in New York but includes some background stories from China. The characters are believable and sympathetic. The conflict was realistic, and although some of the mystery was predictable there were many surprises as well! I enjoyed this novel which captures the love of parents - both biological and adoptive, the challenge of being an immigrant, the challenges of family responsibilities. It also includes scenes which depict cultural differences/perceptions and prejudice.

"Always know your own weaknesses," her father told her. "Know them better than your worst enemy and no one will be able to pull the wool over your eyes."

I liked the themes in this one. It really pointed out the struggle with the 'one child' rule and discarded baby girls. Fifi's been adopted by Brandon and Rebecca. In their quest to try to keep the Chinese heritage and language in Fifi's life, they hire a nanny from China.

I found this story jarring. I thought Jasmine's POV was bumping and confusing. I found both Rebecca and Jasmine confusing. I just can't imagine Rebecca having such dangerously loose finances that she doesn't have a checking overdraft? And Jasmine's yo-yo of club work and yet disheveled organized nanny. I thought the highs and lows and the secrets and ugly side of everyone in the book didn't always connect with me and I was often left wondering why someone was doing something. It was an interesting read, it held my attention. But I didn't love it.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I liked this book. Liked it better as it was ending, because I became engrossed in the characters & what would happen. I liked the ending.

This was a compelling read filled with intense family drama and plenty of mystery and suspense elements. The story was slow to start, but once it picked up, it was thrilling and hard to put down.

I loved how this book touched on themes of race, gender, class, and motherhood. I felt it did a fantastic job highlighting China's one child policy.

The Leftover Woman was poignant and beautifully written. It certainly leaves the reader with a lot to think about.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I could not engage with this book. I found the writing really dry and didn't care about the characters or their saga. I am not the target audience for this book. I'm certain others will enjoy the storyline.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced readers copy

An interesting tale about a mothers love. No matter whether biological or not. Either will go to great lengths to protect their children/child.

Heartfelt and wildly entertaining!

This was the first book of Jean Kwok’s that I’ve read but it definitely won’t be the last. The premise drew me in immediately, and I couldn’t put this story down once I got started. Two women from completely different worlds are thrust together and eventually forced to commit the ultimate crime in self-defense.

I enjoyed the alternating perspectives between Jasmine and Rebecca and thought the author did an amazing job keeping their voices unique. The pace was steady and the suspense palpable, overall a very satisfying read. I love any story set in New York City and particularly loved the polar opposite experiences these women had, highlighting Rebecca’s privileged lifestyle compared to the abuses endured by Jasmine. I enjoyed the character development between both women including the relationships with the men in their lives. After Jasmine’s true identity was revealed in Rebecca’s chapters I blew through to the end, convinced that her ex husband, Wen, would find her. The final confrontation was shocking but it made sense given his violent nature.

4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For readers who enjoy domestic suspense, strong female protagonists, and heartfelt topics.