⭐️ 3.5/5 stars!
😢 tears were had (happy, touching)

GENRE: contemporary fiction with some romance - as others have said, this book is for lovers of Ocean’s Eleven, Crazy Rich Asians, and Bridesmaids (also felt a bit like The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants re: friendships and growth)

SUMMARY: “Set against a high-society Shanghai wedding, a heartfelt, funny, dazzling novel about a reluctant bride and her two best friends, each with their own motives and fed up with the way society treats women, who forge a plan to steal all the gift money on the big day.”

Received as an ARC in exchange for an honest review - all thoughts are my own. Thank you Sophie Wan, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley!

🍑 PEACHES & PITS (likes and dislikes) 🍑

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD

peaches:
- ugh the sisterhood of female friendship and growth experienced by all characters by the end of the book brought a literal tear to my eye
- always down for a heist!!!
- the twists and turns were fun and most were unexpected/unpredictable
- thankful that each of the characters got their own version of a resolution 💖
- Chinese culture representation!!

pits:
- my ARC copy’s formatting made it sometimes quite challenging to feel like I could read with good flow (missed spacing on words, no formal chapter divisions/sections, etc.)
- plot was quite slow to start and so it was a bit of a challenge to keep coming back to initially, but im so glad I stuck around til the end (the last 35% is where it picks up imo)
- the villians were villian-ing hard - F*** THESE PARENTS (except for Rina’s)

✏️ ANNOTATIONS & SPARKLE TEXT ✏️
> “I’ve been wondering lately,” Vic says, ignoring her, “How things could be different if I could see the world with someone by my side. If home, for me, is a person.” 🥰
> It’s uncreative of her to steal someone else’s dream, but she thinks that Wu Laoshi wouldn’t have minded *this* theft. After all, it has set her free. 🌻

This is so good!!!! I love the premise so much, like Oceans Eight, and all of characters are so well-developed. I loooved all the lavish descriptions of all the food, the clothes, the locations etc., and it makes me want this to be developed into a movie so badly. The way the heist plan caused their relationships to be strained is realistic and I liked that, that things didn’t work out easily. The resolution was clever and the ending made me cry. It felt super satisfying!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Unfortunately I DNFed. The plot was interesting but where I was struggling were multiple characters - I felt I had to take notes. This absolutely could be a timing thing with me given my recent slump. I’m excited to see what others think so I can determine if I will pick up again.

Great book. I love when friends are included in life events. Fun is bound to happen as well as drama! Great book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 (Fiction)
Release Date: March 5, 2024

Synopsis: Lulu is marrying into one of Shanghai’s most prominent families. She has been taught her whole like that money is the ticket to a good life. She and her two best friends, Rina, who is a career woman, and Jane who is looking to divorce her husband and trade up, team up to steal the money on the big day. As they build a trustworthy team and plan for the big day, the women realize that having it all may come at too big of a price.

My Thoughts: This was billed as Ocean’s Eleven meets Crazy Rich Asians, both of which I enjoyed. However, this missed the mark for me. I ended up enjoying the end, but I thought it was slow to begin with. I found many of the characters unlikable which isn’t my favorite. However, by the end, the characters had some work on themselves and become more likable. I liked the idea of the heist, and I kept reading to figure out what happened. Overall, I liked this, but it wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade/ Graydon House for allowing me to read an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

If you love reading about fancy weddings or heists, you’ll love this.

Okay wow! This book was a lot of 'Everything Everywhere All At Once'. It focuses on three women in Shanghai destined to marry in Shanghai's richest city and to the richest men. Money, beauty, and success are everything for them. Hence, they plan to steal one of the women's wedding gifts to get the approval they need from their partners and parents. It's a remix of 'Crazy Rich Asians', 'Oceans 11' and a bunch of other high-class Asian stories and stereotypes. Then there are multiple POVs with time stamps and a crazy wedding that doesn't feel real.

After reading it, I can tell that the women are extremely selfish, insecure, dumb, and don't even need to be married. Each of the women has a desire to please someone whether it's themselves or a significant other. The Shanghai Marriage Market seems messed up as it is and doesn't need a heist. Sophie Wan just made Shanghai high-class women look like snobs and insecure Sharpay Evans. It has a lot of issues including pacing, no climax, flat characters, and unreasonable lgbtq rep. Honestly, I thought the book was poorly written and mostly had scenery descriptions while the women were all the same: selfish, neglectful, and dumb asians.

I don't think that this book needs improvement. It was awful and doesn't need critiques. I think that the Shanghai high-class industry is hard to write about. Then when you add on Asian culture traditional and modern, stereotypes, and lgbtq rep, it gets confusing. I had no idea what happened at the end of the book. It's like the heist never happened,

The cover is eye-catching but the story is flat and only has descriptions. It moves slower than a film and focuses on women who only want to please people. I don't know what this book needs help in but it was confusing. I wanted to DNF it. I'm giving it two stars because I liked the Asexual guy and a few of the modern references, other than that, I really disliked it.

I might post about this book on my books @asian_bookstorekat in the next few days. It is very problematic and seems like a hot mess.

This book kind of reminded me of Oceans 8 in that it is a heist planned and executed by a team of women. I thought it was so fun to read, especially since all the women had such distinct personalities and roles within the heist. The different worlds that they were living in were so well-described and distinct as well. A lot of the time when I read a book that follows multiple characters, there's one part that I dislike or one that I like more than the rest, but that wasn't the case with this book -- I was equally interested in every single character.

Spoiler alerts below!!!

I also liked that each women sort of got what they wanted in the end but they really had to work for it, it wasn't just handed to them, AND it wasn't what they originally thought they wanted. It was a satisfying ending without being overly manufactured or too 'happily ever after.'

Lulu, Rina, and Jane are friends. Each one believes there life would be improved with money. When Lulu's high society wedding approaches they decide to steal the red envelopes of money given to the newlyweds. They plan the heist with precision. What could go wrong? Each woman imagines how there lives will change when they pull it off. But will they?

A book about choices for women. In Shanghai is there only choice marriage. The roles of women seem constrained and each wants to escape for different reasons. But what happens along the way is also interesting and adds complications to the plot. If you want a read that takes you to another place this would be a good book for you. It will make you think about the choices you have made.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #SophieWan, #GraydonHouse and #HarlequinTradePublishing for a copy of this book.
#WomenofGoodFortune

Thank you to NetGalley + Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

We follow Lulu, Rina, and Jane as they dream about what their lives could be like if things were different. Lulu dreams of travel and freedom from the responsibility of having to marry rich to support her family. Jane dreams of a more attractive physical appearance and a divorce from the husband she can't stand. Rina dreams of climbing the corporate ladder, but freezing her eggs for when she's ready to settle down and have kids. But the one thing they all need to make these dreams a reality? Money — and because Lulu is engaged to one of the wealthiest men in Shanghai, the ladies devise a plan to steal all of the wedding money and get the futures they rightfully deserve.

It took some time for the story to really pick up, but once it did I enjoyed it. I liked the individual stories of each women quite a bit, but I could tell their friendship was flawed long before the cracks became apparent further in the story. I would've liked to see a stronger female friendship dynamic, and I think the story would've benefitted from it as well.

I appreciated the commentary on how much pressure is put on women to be/act a certain way, and I especially appreciated the insight into how this is amplified in the Chinese culture. It just goes to show that women are still not seen as equals in society and how many hoops they have to go through to get a crumb of respect and independence.

Overall this was a good, medium-paced read that did the women's fiction genre justice.

In Shanghai, a woman over 27 years old is considered a leftover, expected to marry and have children by that time. Three best friends will challenge expectations while carrying out a caper that will allow them to pursue their futures. Jane is married, but unhappily, for financial reasons. Rina wants her career to come first, causing her to be criticized and overlooked for promotion. Lulu is engaged to Harv, a man from a very rich family, who expect her to kowtow to her obnoxious mother-in-law. The story moved a bit slowly at first, but once the planning of the caper developed, I was hooked. I enjoyed this quirky debut novel, and recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Graydon House Books, and Sophie Wan for this #gifted ARC.

This debut novel is Ocean's Eleven meets Crazy Rich Asians and would be a great fit if you like quirky, romantic comedies with a whole lot of chaos.

Admittedly, I am in my strong women supporting other strong women era, and this book gave me all the feels. Rotating through three different female POVs, the reader gets insight into very different personalities that are all looking for the same thing: happiness.

With so many cultural expectations and pressures from family, these women are doing the best they can to be true to themselves yet not disappoint others who depend on them. It's a modern-day problem: how much will you sacrifice for your own happiness?

The pace of this book was both slow and fast? It took me a while to actually be invested in the characters, but once we started meeting Vic and Harv and their family members, things started to quickly get more intriguing. I love a good puzzle and about 50% into the novel, I was truly invested in this heist plot.

If you love Jesse Q. Sutanto books or books involving some hilarious, ride-or-die friendship situations, you will want to snag this one. It is labeled as a romance, but that truly takes a backseat to the female relationships in the novel.

If you love Asian literature, stories of fierce lady friendships and clever characters - Women of Good Fortune should be your next read! I absolutely love all movies like Ocean's 8 - and that's exactly the vibe I got while reading. I felt at home with these characters who felt like they didn't have much other choice!!

P.S. There is a scene where a turtle is used as a 'bad omen' against a meddling soon-to-be MIL, and I loved this scene! It was hilarious!

**Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

This was such a delightful read! I love how the “leftover” women each had a unique personality and came from different backgrounds and still became BFFs. Lulu works like a horse and sends her monthly paycheck to her family back home out of filial piety and obligation. Rina chose career over marriage despite always being overlooked for promotion. To counter her reproductive deadline, she wants to freeze her eggs. Jane is “ugly” by Chinese standards, so she’s obsessed with fashion to feel good about herself and plans to have plastic surgery to improve her status. Out of the 3 friends, she is the only one married, but only because her dowry included a fully paid condo. To get out of their dire predicaments and fund their goals, they decided to steal the red envelopes/money gifts 🧧🧧🧧 during Lulu’s high profile wedding to Harv. The planning of money heist was really cool coming from these resourceful ladies. But what I loved most from the story was how each character came full circle in the end and finally accepted and appreciated their true selves. You’d have to read the book if you wanna know how it came about!😉 The heist itself was exciting to read and I love the outcome! Hint: it was brilliant!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Overall, it’s a nice story about defying the expectations of a traditional society. I was able to relate to each one and found myself shaking my head or laughing out loud the whole time! If you enjoy reading about money heist and strong female leads, then this will be a good read for you.💖

I needed this novel as it was a great pallet cleanser after several depressing reads. Since Hollywood lumps all Asian women together, I would love to see Ali Wong in this when it becomes the great chick-flick I can see it being.
Women wanting to have it all verses actually having it all has been the center of many stories. But this one exceeds your expectations of women making their own way. AND cements my thinking that weddings have gotten way out of hand.
The Women of this novel are besties who want it all and see Lulu's wedding as a way to get it--without a husband.
Set in the lush culture of China and its red envelope tradition, Women of Good Fortune is fun and witty and a great novel to read with your own best friend or book club.

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Three women in Shanghai plan a heist for during one of their weddings.
-
When three friends find themselves unhappy in their relationships, they decide to pull a heist at one of their weddings to “kill three birds with one stone.” What follows is the planning and execution of a heist equal parts exciting and humorous. An interesting premise sure to entertain.
The problem? It overall feels less heist and more friendship story. Which is fine, but not quite what I wanted. At some point the story seems to lose itself and what it set out to do.

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A great array of main characters who each develop disitnctly. We have Rina, the type-A workaholic; Jane, the blunt and insecure de facto leader; and Lulu, the meek bride-to-be. These three leading ladies are exactly what the story needs to hook and entertain.
I just wish these characters’ personalities were shown rather than told to the reader; they develop somewhat forcibly. Thankfully, they break out of these molds and feel increasingly complex as they grow and learn throughout the novel.
The other characters weren’t particularly memorable to me.

Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Great dialogue, important life lessons, and a cool Shanghai setting. The culture/context are integrated thoughtfully. And it has a fast pace that will keep readers wanting to know what happens next.
However, it feels almost … too fast? As if instead of fully understanding the planning of the heist (think those montage planning scenes from Ocean’s 8), instead the pre-heist and heist just barrel on without much time for the reader to even be enthralled or fully informed of what’s going on. Could’ve slowed down and used more details/descriptions of people and places.

Recommended to fans of heists!

This was such a fun and deeply heartfelt read! I came for the Crazy Rich Asians comp, stayed for the girl gang heist vibes, and raced to the end due to the friendships and introspection of the characters. I listened to the audiobook also and appreciated that to be able to hear the pronunciations as intended. A fun story with a boatload of heart!

—Thank you to NetGalley and the publidher for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was so much fun!
I loved these girls and their special bond, also that they had their romances. It was definitely everything i wanted from it. It’s a low action heist romance with great friendships and fun romances. I’m so excited to read more books from Sophie Wan. I need more books with these characters!
Loved it!

Oh my god, I didn’t really know what to expect from this heist/romance novel, but in the end it totally delivered. This novel follows three women, Lulu, Jane, and Rina, who are planning a heist on Lulu’s upcoming multimillion dollar wedding.

Wan wrote three well-fleshed out main characters and created side characters that all had their purpose. The novel also had the perfect balance between the heist and romance plots.

I was so attached to everyone, I didn’t want the book to end! Although there is an epilogue, I need a sequel just telling the stories of the rest of the main characters’ lives! Sophie Wan, please I need it so bad 😭

Another great 2024 debut author!

Thanks to NetGalley and Graydon House for this ARC!

4.5/5 ⭐️

A good read during the Chinese New Year 🧧

The plot
Lulu is getting married with her two bridesmaids, Jane and Rina, by her side. Lulu is the bride who is getting married into a rich and controlling family. Jane is a stay-at-home wife and is displeased by her beauty. Rina is a Leftover meaning a non-married woman. One day, Jane suggests stealing the money at the wedding and running off together. Will the heist work or will something be stopping them???

As an Asian, I relate to this book: family nagging, pushing us to get married and having a perfect beauty. When reading, I adored the character Jane since I identified with her having a hard time accepting herself and thinking that everyone is talking bad behind her back. So, reading chapter 27 made me kinda emotional iukuk 🥹 Zahoa is such a gentleman (kinda).

As for the romance, I love Rina and Vic's banter and enemies-to-lovers story. Jane and Zahoa has a complex relationship but slowly made it through. I was happy for their ending 😭 As for the Lulu and Harv, they didn't really got my attention that much but at least they're happy now 😂

In all, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book but I did and I love it!! The friendship between the girls were wholesome even tho they had some rocky moments. I also love the happy ending that everyone got, they deserved it truly 🥰

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for sending me an arc!

I didn't know if I would enjoy the story of a heist but this was a pleasure! While the heist is central to the plot, it is more about the friendship of Lulu, Jane and Rina. It also delves into relationships, family and love. Fans of Crazy Rich Asians would probably enjoy this, as well as anyone who loves an entertaining heist story. Impressive debut novel by Sophie Wan! I look forward to reading what she writes next.