Women of Good Fortune had a lot of potential, but fell a little flat for me. The beginning was interesting with the idea of Lulu wanting to steal the money from her wedding with her two friends Rina and Jane. Rina and Jane both have their own struggles and reasons for wanting extra cash. Initially I was fully invested in the story, but somewhere in the middle things started to run together and I started to lose interest in the characters. It was also hard for me to come to terms with Lulu stealing money from her future husband when he did nothing but love her and treat her well. By the end I think each character grew and learned some things. I think many will enjoy this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was able to make it about half way through Women of Good Fortune before I found myself losing interest in the book. I think I had high hopes because I liked other stories with similar plots, with rich characters, and drama.

"Women of Good Fortune" is a captivating novel that takes readers on a thrilling ride through the opulent world of high-society Shanghai. Set against the backdrop of a lavish wedding, the story unfolds as a reluctant bride, her two best friends, and their shared frustration with societal norms unite in a daring plan to liberate themselves. The author skillfully weaves together heartfelt moments, humor, and dazzling descriptions that bring the characters and setting to life.

Thank you Netgalley and Graydon House for the ARC!

Overll love the orginal premis of this story. They only thing I would critique would be how fast paced it was in the beginning. I wish it breathed more to know the back ground of how the main girls were together a bit. However it read like a great Netflix series. All three grils I thought brought something interesting to the table and seeing the dynamics of Chinese culture I thought was really cool.

Set in China by a debut author and full of culture and social norms. Three best friends have aspirations of their own while struggling to also live up to family and cultural expectations. Lulu is getting married to a wealthy man to improve her family's finances while wishing she could stay single. Rina is a career-minded woman who wants to have children and keep rising in her career. Jane is married and wants to fit beauty standards and climb socially. They come together with a plan to help all their dreams become reality.

This is a heist novel and reminded me of The Bandit Queens in some ways. I am sure there will be a lot of comparisons to Crazy Rich Asians but that's a different culture although some similarities about the roles of women in society. The story was great, and each character really stood out with their own thoughts and desires. I liked that it showed real friendships and how they grow and change over time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for the ARC. This review is my own thoughts and opinions.

What a great little gun book!

Tina, Jane and Lulu are not only friends but the most intriguing characters. The author does a splendid job bringing them to life. Then there’s the wedding heist that keeps you on the edge of your seat. All the women are on amazing journeys . They’re fun to watch as they change and grow.

I would love to see a sequel to this and watch the characters come alive again!

Thank you NetGalley and Grayson House for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This was a refreshing red. The writing is incredibly artful and sets the perfect tone for all of the secrets that it holds.

This one just didn't work for me (definitely a case of "it's not you, it's me"), but I'm glad to see that others are enjoying it so much! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

I love a friendship book and Women of Good Fortune is a great story of how we miss and miss appreciating what's right in front of us. So easy to take advantage of such a precious gift. Add in some really funny moments and you've got a really good book! I'd love to discuss this for a book club meeting.

If you enjoyed reading Crazy Rich Asians, Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan should be next on your to-read book list. Taken place in Shanghai, this story revolves around three women, friends who are discontent with their lives. Lulu is about to get married to a wealthy man who she is not in love with, but his family's money would take care of all her family's problems -- and her friends'. Her friends Rina and Jane come up with the crazy idea to use the wedding as an opportunity to steal all the red envelopes and use that money to solve their problems -- have the money to freeze Rina's eggs and Jane's plastic surgery. Will they be able to execute this crazy plan?

To be honest, I thought the plot was comedic -- the plan just isn't realistic. In fact, I felt the story dragged on a bit too long in the beginning when Lulu, Rina, and Jane were planning out the whole heist. However, the ending really redeemed the whole story. It really tied in all the characters' development. There's a lot of cultural references, which I thought were relatable. The characters could've been developed a bit more, especially Lulu. I felt like she is supposed to be this protagonist who goes through this metamorphosis throughout the book, but I feel she is still lacking depth.

Overall, this is a fun read. Do not think too deeply into the details -- it will kill the enjoyment. Take the plot with a grain of salt and you will end up thoroughly enjoying this entertaining read.

Thank you to Netgalley, publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing, and author Sophie Wan for providing me with an ARC, in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Pub Date: March 5, 2024

For fans of Ocean’s Eight, Bridesmaids, and Crazy Rich Asians - Sophie Wan’s WOMEN OF GOOD FORTUNE is for you!

Lulu is about to marry Shanghai’s richest and most eligible bachelor, Harv, much to her dismay. Harv may be kind, despite his overbearing parents' constant pressure and expectations, but Lulu isn’t in love with him. Their marriage would mostly be a financial gain to help out her family she’s been supporting, and avoid being considered a “sheng nu” (a woman passed the appropriate age for marriage).

Meanwhile, Lulu’s friends Jane and Rina are in their own predicament as well. Jane feels like she’s in a loveless marriage forced upon her because no other man would marry her for her looks. Rina has put aside love and starting a family to focus on her career, but has been constantly passed up for promotion in favor of her male colleagues. If the women had it their way and their own money, Lulu would escape from her duties, Jane would change her appearance, and Rina would freeze her eggs. Together, they hatch up a plan and form a small crew to steal the red envelopes that will be given by the wealthy guests at Lulu’s upcoming wedding.

With the plan set in motion, the three are faced with their own challenges they had been avoiding alongside their friendship that is put on the line the deeper they get into the heist.

I love Sophie Wan’s debut novel. 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. The whole idea and execution feels like something straight out of an Ocean’s Eleven movie, specifically Ocean’s Eight (yes, the one featuring Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett’s team), where I enjoyed seeing the details come together and was excited to see how it would come through. The two additional members of the Leftover crew, counterfeiter Michelangelo and getaway driver Mei, also rounded out the team.

Along with the 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.

Without trying to spoil anything, I would have liked to have known more about some of the other characters in the end, such how Lulu and Harv’s family felt after, as well as Jane and Zihao’s marriage. Yet despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would reread it again upon its release.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

Publication: March 5, 2024

Rating: 2 stars

This is definitely a scenario of "it's not the book its me". I wasn't a fan of "Crazy Rich Asians" mostly because I really struggled to get into that story line. The same sort of thing happened with this book. It was confusing to keep up with all the names plus the plot turned out to be very superficial in my opinion. If you're a fan of "Loveboat Taipei" or "Crazy Rich Asians", give this book a try!

While this book took a minute to get into, it was actually a surprise favorite for me. It's a women's fiction novel, told in multiple perspectives, as a trio of Shanghai-based friends hatch a plan to steal the wedding gifts that one of them (Lulu) would receive on her wedding day. The book charts their heist journey while fending off the men who may stand in their way. It's an intriguing glance at the lack of opportunity for women to be more than a man's trophy spouse. It's compelling and thrilling, with such rich language that has me so curious to discover if they'll complete the heist, stay friends, find love and so much more.

Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan was an addicting read it did have a Crazy Rich Asian feeling ( I admit I didn't read the book Crazy Rich Asians)

Lulu who comes from low class has found the perfect rich guy Harv who comes from real estate and other investments. But she questions whether she is marrying for her family who ( always need her money) Or is it for love. The amount of attention and Money that their marriage will attract is addicting to her, her friends Rina and Jane.

Rina and Jane- Jane Married for mainly property because she was told she was Ugly. Rina is a hard worker but is in toxic workplace. They see a chance to use this wedding as a heist to use the marriage money as a way to get a better life.

I do hope there is a sequel because I would totally be invested in reading it. I highly reccommend this book in exchange for an honest review. ( I was given this ARC by netgalley in exchange for an honest review)

I was really intrigued by the plot of this book! However, it ended up being a little bit too predictable. There were some aspects of the plot that I didn’t think were developed enough. I liked where the author was trying to go but it felt like something was missing and that things needed to be more fleshed out. Some of the dialogue and narration was also a little confusing and lost me.

This book was just okay. The pacing was kind of slow and the characters were unlikable to me. I never could fully get into this one and it took me a little while to get through it. I thought it was still a kind of fun read though. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own. Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review.

I saw this billed as Crazy Rich Asians meets Ocean's 11 and that description is pretty spot on.

It took me quite a while to get into the book but once the book got its hooks in me I couldn't put it down.

I was expecting a heist novel and a story about friendship. I got that as well as some bonus romance (this book is not steamy, just FYI).

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin Trade Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Harlequin Trade Publishing.

I was so looking forward to reading “Women of Good Fortune” by Sophie Wan and it turned out to be an interesting read. The concept of an Asian wealthy wedding, three vey different women and the difficulties they navigate in their society, and a Heist couldn’t have been more enticing for me. Although I enjoyed the story, I did find the book dragging quite a bit in the middle but I’m glad I pushed through and finished as the ending was a bit of a surprise. If you enjoyed reading “Crazy Rich Asians” I am sure this novel will be for you.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for my honest review. After several attempts at reading this book i could not get into it at all unfortunately. I am glad that everyone else seems to enjoy it, however.

Three friends journey can it stand the stresses a high-profile wedding brings? I enjoyed following this story of friendship and was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong about the ending. One high-profile wedding, one friend struggling in a culture where career women are not valued, and the third friend stuck in a loveless marriage. As the novel continues and these friends learn their lives may not be all bad, can their friendship survive.