WOMEN OF GOOD FORTUNE is on sale March 5, 2024.

I certainly learned a lot about Chinese wedding culture while reading Sophie Wan’s WOMEN OF GOOD FORTUNE. The story of three women, all from very different backgrounds, becoming friends and planning the ultimate course to their freedoms is interesting, to say the least.

Lulu, is about to marry Harv, whose family is very rich. But why is she marrying him? Her mother wants her married so she can support their family, but her father just wants her to be happy.

Jane is married to Zihao, but she feels he only married her because her parents bought her an apartment. She has felt like there was never love there and she feels like plain Jane.

And then we have Rina, a workaholic who gets no respect at work, and no promotions.

Money would buy freedom for one, beauty for another and the chance to start over for all of them.

Now all they have to do is figure out the perfect heist and Lulu’s upcoming nuptials may be the answer to everyone’s problems.

A delightful, high stakes heist slash women's fiction debut that sees three unhappy Shanghai friends scheming to steal the wedding money at one of their upcoming high society ceremonies. Perfect for fans of books about strong, clever women who work hard to make their own happiness no matter the cost. This was a fun blend of Ocean's Eleven and Counterfeit and great on audio too. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed this book although it was slow paced which took me a little longer to get through. I enjoyed the characters and how the story developed. I wish there was a bit more excitement in the story to have kept me hooked.

Lulu is about to be married into one of Shanghai's richest families to benefit her family. Her friends,
Rina and Jane are facing their own challenges. Rina, despite her education and expertise, keeps
losing out on pomotions. Jane feels she is trapped in a loveless marriage and that changing her
appearance would be a benefit. The three come up with a plan to steal the wedding money at
Lulu's wedding. However, as the plan progresses, the three are confronted with situations that have
them reevaluating what they really want.
#WomenofGoodFortune #NetGalley

I told friends this book was a combination of Crazy Rich Asians meets Ocean's 11. This was such a fun read.

It takes a cultural look into customs and expectations of women, but gives its three main characters a chance to break away from it and take back control of their lives through a heist. I really like how Wan explores each of the women’s own dilemmas, including their relationship with the people they care about, as well as how their friendship is affected with the goal in sight. Not everything is simple as planned and we see what is at risk for all of them, especially as relationships begin to develop and what they each thought was so important is called into question.

This was truly a heartwarming book and the ending was so well done!

Sophie Wan has my heart. With a cast full of characters that shine and a plot that had me hooked from the first page, be ready to fall in love. If you loved Crazy Rich Asians, Chaebol Kdrama plots, or anything in that vein, this is the book for you.

An exploration into womanhood, finding yourself, romance with heist, and descriptions that sing, I truly enjoyed this read.

This was such a fun read!

Told through the POVs of three female friends, we get to see three women who are stuck in relationships or paths chosen for them by society and family pressures. As they plot a wedding heist to regain their freedom, whatever that means to each one, doubt starts to creep in.

I enjoyed the setting of Shanghai and e glimpse into its wealthy families. The women each had their own story and I loved how the ending have them get what they needed, rather than what they had thought they needed.

A fun, light, female centered début that I’d highly recommend.

4.5. Thrilling heist novel that was super fun and I never expected to see the red packer tradition in a heist. Thanks for the arc!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sophie Wan’s Women of Good Fortune is a heist-driven novel following Lulu and her two best friends, Rina and Jane, as they scheme to steal the gift money on the day of Lulu’s wedding. This is an entertaining and introspective narrative where its characters confront the societal pressures women face in Chinese society, determined to live life on their terms.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was fun to read! Think Oceans 11 meets Crazy Rich Asians. Women of Good Fortune is set in the high-society of Shanghai with luxurious social functions and all the drama that comes with it. Lulu is reluctant to marry the man that her parents have arranged for her to marry but his family has a ton of money and this may be the answer to all of her problems. Lulu and her best friends who are fed up with their lives and the way they are treated, forge a plan to pull off the greatest heist of all time. The ending will surprise you!

Thank you to @harpercollins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🙏🏻🩷

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I haven't read many heist books, so that caught my attention. While I enjoyed this one, the pace was slower than I expected. There were a number of characters, and I think I would've preferred fewer side characters so certain plot points could've been explores in more depth. The focus of the story was more on the relationships than the heist. I liked that families and relationships weren't portrayed as perfect. I liked that the story was told from multiple POVs, as well as the strong female characters and setting.

This was such a fun, interesting read. Loved learning about Chinese culture, specifically around classism, misogyny, and family ideals. The characters were funny and infuriating, the heist was ridiculous yet unpredictable and therefore somehow believable. The relationships were complex and the chemistry between Vic and Rina was palpable. That being said, the ending left me wanting more. I think it was too "and they lived happily ever after" for me. Maybe if there was more tension before Rina and Vic got back together, or if Jane and Zihao ended up divorcing, or there was more tension and conflict between Lulu, Harv, and his parents.

This is my first Sophie Wan book and I will definitely be looking for more of her books!

Women of Good Fortune centers around 3 friends living in Shanghai who plot to steal the money gifted to one of the women (Lulu) at her upcoming wedding. The book balances a heist with the story of friendship and personal growth. Each character has her own story and journey throughout the book and I thought the story was informative about the challenges faced by Chinese women. While reading the book, I couldn’t remember how the three women become friends, but I did enjoy the friendship depicted throughout the story. The main plot revolves around Lulu’s wedding and the heist. I’m usually wary of heists in books similar to this as I’ve been underwhelmed in the past, but I think the author did a good job of making it believable and thinking through the challenges the crew would face while trying to pull it off. The twists in the story keep readers engaged until the very end and I like that I wouldn’t have predicted the ending, despite foreshadowing earlier in the story. Overall, I really enjoyed this book (especially for being a debut novel) and would recommend it to others!

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was nit my cup of tea. Characters seemed to be portrayed superficially. I dropped it shortly in. I was hoping it would be as engaging as Crazy rich Asians but it was not at all

Lulu, Jane and Rina are good friends. They are considered ‘leftovers’ in their society.
Women get this label when they reach a certain age without getting married.
Jane gave in to the society pressure and married the best deal she could get.
Lulu is engaged but hates everything about her situation.
Rina is the only single lady in the group because getting a partner means giving up her career ambition.
They all aren’t happy and will stop at nothing to break free from society expectations.

That was a refreshing read! I enjoyed every chapter of the book. It was a funny read even though it was dealing with sensitive topics. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a book this much. The characters felt so real and were so relatable. I felt like I was the fourth invisible friend in the group. The characters development was spot on. I felt the characters growth through the book.

Do I recommend this? Yes, yes and YES!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.

Mix a lavish Shanghai wedding, 3 young women desperate for change, and unruly Mother-in-Law and you have WOMEN OF GOOD FORTUNE. This debut by Sophia Wan explores mother-daughter relationships and the role of class and cultural expectations, all while giving readers a glimpse into the extravagant lifestyle of Shanghai’s elite.

These women were conniving and clever, but each had deep flaws. I was captivated by their planning for the elaborate wedding heist, but was completely won over by the satisfying character growth each of them experienced. I anticipated the ending with eagerness and anxiety but loved how the heist was resolved. I came for the over the top antics, but I stayed for the bonds of female friendship.

READ THIS IF YOU:
-Can’t resist a conniving heist novel
-Are drawn to stories of rich people behaving badly
-Are intrigued by the premise of Crazy Rich Asians meets Oceans 11

RATING: 4/5

Many thanks to NetGalley and HTP books for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very easy read about 3 friends planning a heist at one of their weddings. It reminded me of a "Crazy Rich Asians" scenario with all of the Chinese sayings and traditions weaved into the story! I kept reading expecting a little bit more character development, such as more feeling and information about the love story of Lulu and her fiance. It was heartwarming to see how the characters grew throughout the book but it dragged in some points.

Unfortunately this book isn’t for me. I do appreciate the look into Chinese culture and economic disparities. However, the reasons behind the 3 friends planning the heist are not justifiable in my opinion. I feel horrible for all the people giving the wedding gifts, when Lulu knows all along she won’t go through with the wedding. Thank you for the opportunity read and review, and I do wish all the best for the author and the book. I’m
sure there are other readers who will absolutely love it.
DNF at 30%
3 stars for writing quality
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately in the state I received this ARC in, the writing was too simplistic / low quality to make this an enjoyable reading experience. The plot is unique and was very promising, but unfortunately the execution was poor in my opinion.

I also found Jane's motivations throughout the book to be completely annoying - I would totally understand and appreciate if she was hoping to earn financial freedom from her husband, but the way the author presents it as she's just hoping to shop til she drops and get plastic surgery was a weird choice in my opinion.

Also, the formatting of this ARC was completely nonexistent. There are no chapter breaks, and chapter titles are just written on the same lines as dialogue. It made for a really frustrating reading experience.

One part Crazy Rich Asians + one part Oceans Eleven = Women of Good Fortune. Lulu is set to marry into a very wealth family. When it comes to weddings and wealth in the Asian culture, the sky is the limit on all things - gifts, flowers, food, entertainment. It is also expected that the guests attending will give cash in HUGE amounts. It is this last part that sparks the idea for Lulu and her best friends, Jane and Rina to steal the money during the wedding celebration. This money will allow Lulu to escape to the US (the final wedding papers not actually signed), Jane to leave her humdrum marriage and Rina, the only single friend to pursue her own dreams.

The only problem is that the money will be in a specially made glass safe in the middle of the reception room. To steal this without being seen and escape with the money before anyone notices will take a bigger team than the three of them.

I did like the insight into the cultural expectations and customs. Having married into an Asian family, I know about much of this first hand. I did not feel a real connection to the plight of the characters. I do understand that the opportunities to create businesses and be seen a something other than a trophy or a handmaid is not to be discounted. I felt most connected/invested with Rina and Vic. I was rooting for them to get out of the own way.

The majority of the book is at a very slow pace as we get to know the characters and as the plan is being developed. Once we move closer to the wedding day, things up to an almost too quick pace. That being said, I see Sophie Wan as an exciting new author who I am confident will continue to produce interesting and exciting works in the future. I look forward to following her continued success!

My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.