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.

This book was a lot of fun. It felt like I was reading Ocean's 11. I also really liked how the lives of the three main characters were so different from each other; Rina's career driven passion clashed perfectly with Jane's consumeristic obsession. The surprise ending was unique enough that I wasn't able to guess what would happen. I definitely enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.

I love a good scammer themed book and this was no exception. We follow three friends, Rina, June, and Lulu and I enjoyed getting to see each of their stories. Lulu is getting married to help her family but with her two friends, they decide to try to steal the red envelopes that people will stuff with cash at their wedding. It was a longer story, but I found myself laughing as I read and wanting to keep going.

Heisty, reflective, and chaotic, Women of Good Fortune is a fast-paced read that explores familial expectations and the weight the next generation carries because of them.

Examining beauty standards, the impact of the one child rule, societal and familial standards for both men and women, and relationships (both with friends and love), I was surprised by the depth we got for all these characters. Of course, we couldn't fully dive into everything, but the large cast really helped to build this image of Chinese society and everything that comes with it. All the rot under the glittering facade.

A big focus is the heist and the three MC's friendship. We have Lulu, the bride-to-be who's always been trapped by her family's guilt for letting her (the second child and daughter) live; Jane, who's always been told her face was nothing pretty and is married to a man who originally wedded her for her apartment; and Rina, a workaholic who's afraid to let go of control. They have been friends for years, and want to use the heist to take back the reins of their lives.

I loved the exploration of their friendship along with their personal relationships - with their parents, their partners, and other people in their lives. The development of everything came together so well at the end that I was honestly a bit surprised. There are some relationships that I felt like needed a bit more page-time and a bit more work to get to where it all stands at the end, but overall, I was really happy with this chaotic ride of a story.

Women of Good Fortune is really great at providing an introduction to how Chinese society looks and feels, and shows that gilded cages are still cages. All in all, definitely a strong read and a solid debut from Sophie Wan!

TW: body shaming, emotional abuse, sexism, burnout, classism, misogyny, vomit, alcohol; mentions abandonment

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Graydon House via HarperCollins Canada.

Wonderful story of three friends who try to find their way to a better life through an Ocean's 8-esque scheme. I LOVED how each woman had her own problems and trials but take their own journey to find that they can be happier without all of the money that they are hoping to steal. I also really enjoyed the tie-in to the cultural fabric of Shanghai. A wonderful read set in the background of the shining pearl of the East that is Shanghai!

I received this arc from @netgalley.

Rina, June and Lulu live in Shanghai. June is married and has believed she is ugly her whole life and is lucky to have had a marriage arranged. Rina is a career driven woman who is past her prime being older than 27, and Lulu is getting married to help her family.
These three women think up a scheme to steal the red envelopes from Lulu’s wedding so they can each follow their dreams.
Did they succeed? Read and find out.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader copy.
I loved this book so much. The characters felt fully fleshed out and the plot lines all worked together pretty seamlessly. The build up to the heist had me sitting on the edge of my seat and staying up late to get to the end. MY only complaint is that I wanted more--to see what happens for Lulu, Rina, and Jane even further after the wedding. Great job, Sophie Wan.

This is a female heist caper set in. China. Lulu is a hostess at a Shanghai restaurant. She works hard, sending most of her earnings to her family. When she becomes engaged to the only son of a wealthy real estate family everyone thinks she has won the lottery. Everyone but Lulu and her two best friends. Lulu doesn’t want to get married or deal with a micromanaging mother-in-law but her family needs money. Her friends understand. They each need money for their own reasons. Jane wants plastic surgery and Rina wants to freeze her eggs. So they plan a heist. At the wedding people will give the couple a red envelopes stuffed with a fortune in cash. They hatch a plan to steal the cash and help Lulu escape.
I really liked the three main characters and the supporting cast. It was great to see them evolving as they plotted the heist. This was a clever, fun book with insights into society’s expectations of women in China.

Ocean’s 11 meets Crazy Rich Asians. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I enjoyed the plot, three main characters (plus Mei and Michaelangelo) and the setting, but felt like the book could have been a bit shorter. Overall, a fun, lighthearted read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I throughly enjoyed the plot and characters within this book. It was relatively easy to follow and laugh out loud funny at times.

There were times that the story seemed to stretch on for me and I felt that some aspects could have been shortened a bit.

However, this was a great read overall!

Shanghai. Three women; Lulu, Jane, and Rina, Lulu is getting married though she's not in love with him, it would solve her family’s financial problems. Jane, is housewife in a loveless marriage. Rina, is a workaholic.
The three come up with a plan to perform a heist at Lulu’s wedding hoping to solve all their problems with the wedding gifts.

Shenanigans!!! Readable and fun!

Fans of Crazy Rich Asians (either the movie or the book) and Oceans 8 will love Sophie Wan's latest novel, Women of Good Fortune. Three friends once known as 'The Leftovers' find themselves immersed in the world of high society in Shanghai when Lulu is set to wed the city's most eligible bachelor. When Lulu realizes that getting married isn't what she wants (even though it will solve all her family's financial issues) her friends Rina and Jane step in to plan the perfect heist all right beneath the noses of Shanghai's elite.