Member Reviews
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.
4.5 stars.
Please tell me there will be a sequel to this book! The ending wrapped up everything nicely but I would hope to see all the characters again in a new book.
From the blurb I was expecting a Dial A for Aunties vibe, but was happy to get a Crazy Rich Asians feel to this novel. It said "heartwarming and funny", which it was, but the "funny" was far more subtle than expected and sarcastic, while I was hoping for some clever and amusing banter.
Society imposes many expectations on women, and this novel tackles the topic in relation to parental pressure, society's perception of physical beauty, and being held back from trying to climb the workplace ladder
as a woman of childbearing potential. While this story takes place in Shanghai, many women will relate to the issues that were playing out in this book.
This was truly a heartwarming book and the ending was so well done! Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
i like the characters but meh on the heist thing, there was too much set up related to that and it didn't make much sense
What happens when you are presented with a Goose that lays a golden egg? The only stipulation is for you to marry him. But what happens if you don't love the man you agree to marry? Well that's what happened to LuLu. Lulu has agreed to married into a very established family and if you are expecting another version of "Crazy Rich Asians," be prepared for a stronger and better book.
Lulu, along with her two best friends, Rina and Jane are all in need to making a desperate change in their lives. All three have different reasons for wanting to plan a heist of stealing all the wedding money and what their designs on how to spend the money are. The problem is, when you have such a plan, you will peel back the layers and get to see each other: worts and all. Set in Shanghai, while we do get to see the glitz and glamour, what really surprised me was it took me on an emotional journey. One that I was not expecting but loved!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Graydon House Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book about Asian women and their relationships with each other. There are some other elements, like romance and funny portions, but the core of this book goes deeper and I really appreciated the exploration of female friendships. Even though this is set in China, there were still relatable aspects with the women, and I was glad the author was able to build relatability across cultural lines. This a greatly balanced book, a quick read, and fun - a great page turner!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Graydon House Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was not familiar with Sophie Wan's previous books but The Women of Good Fortune caught my attention from the description. Three friends, a lavish Shanghai wedding, and a heist makes for a great book in my opinion.
Lulu, a woman of lesser means, finds herself suddenly the "target" of Shanghai's most eligible bachelor. Lulu believes that money is her ticket to happiness because it will provide for her parents.
Rina, who is a career driven and desperate to freeze her eggs, is frustrated that she is continually passed over for promotions at work and is viewed as a Leftover.
Jane, not afraid to speak her mind and obsessed with name brand luxury goods is desperate to divorce her husband and get the plastic surgery on her face that she believes will fix all her problems.
Each woman wants something different but each needs one thing: Money.
The women believe that Lulu's wedding is the chance that they all need to get the money to make their dreams come true.
This is a great book of escapism while still tackling some common core themes among all women today.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own
I found this book to be very entertaining. The characters were very distinctive and intriguing. The plot was relatively predictable but the execution of it was so good that I didn’t mind. I still found myself eagerly reading in because I was desperate to see what would happen next. Nice book with a solid and thought out story.
Lulu has always been taught that money is the ticket to a good life. So, when Shanghai’s most eligible bachelor surprises her with a proposal, the only acceptable answer is yes, even if the voice inside her head is saying no. His family’s fortune would solve all her parents’ financial woes, but Lulu isn’t in love or ready for marriage.
The only people she can confide in are her two best friends: career-minded Rina, who is tired of being passed over for promotion as her biological clock ticks away; and Jane, a sharp-tongued, luxury-chasing housewife desperate to divorce her husband and trade up. Each of them desires something different: freedom, time, beauty. None of them can get it without money.
Lulu’s wedding is their golden opportunity. The social event of the season, it means more than enough cash gifts to transform the women’s lives. To steal the money on the big day, all they’ll need is a trustworthy crew and a brilliant plan. But as the plot grows increasingly complicated and relationships are caught in the cross fire, the women are forced to face that having it all might come at a steep price…
This was a quick, fun read! I love reading stories about friendships, especially set in cultures different from my own. Lulu, Rina, and Jane are BFFs, but they all want different things from life. Excellent commentary on the importance of money in our lives, and the pursuit of what we want at all costs. I definitely recommend this if you enjoy books about women friendships!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a hard one to rate. Loved the idea of it-like a female Ocean's Eleven that takes place in China, with wedding money as the heist. I loved the insight into the plight of women and their role in marriage in that country, and I also valued the power of women working together to help build each other up. There's also the beloved enemies to lovers trope woven in there, which is always a bonus! Unfortunately, the pacing was a bit off and I felt like it could have used a bit more comedic relief.
The best way to describe this is to day this to say it’s like crazy rich asians meet Oceans 11. It is a lighthearted read that is fast-paced. However, the storyline itself is not for me. I’m sure this is something a lot of people would like since I appear to be in the minority so it really could just be me. I think it was a little bit shallow/
This is very interesting book about how young women this Was a little hard to follow in places.! Remember the cultural difference of China and USA.
This cover, this title - amazing. I finished this book in one day!
Vic and Rina as frenemies ugh, their chemistry was so good. Honestly I would read a romance book about just the two of them.
Of course, these women were way more than their romantic interests. I loved the messages of female empowerment, the realness of railing against society's standards, and especially the complexities of living with older generations’ familial expectations. These themes came through really clearly, and relatably. Rina, working out of her mind, yet still being passed over for younger men in the business. Lulu, trying so hard to please everyone in her life except herself. Jane, facing insecurities about her looks and status.
The group's regular Hotpot Palace meetings were literally *chef’s kiss* (though certainly not those food specials iykyk). It was the perfect lighthearted meeting place that was so comforting in its consistent appearances. These women's struggles and relationships were pretty thoroughly developed all the way through the end. I liked the pace and size of chapters, but struggled a bit jumping into things at the beginning. I couldn't keep all the women's names, stories, and perspectives straight. It took a long time for me to wholeheartedly root for them as I wasn't immediately convinced they were worth rooting for. Sometimes I was just too sad by everyone's unhappiness, so those moments dragged on for me. Jane as a character was a hard sell for me initially, but through Lulu's eyes and just as a getting-shit-done person, I ended up really loving her. In hindsight, I see what led to Lulu's big breakdown, but I was kinda blindsided by it, and didn't really see her specific resentments until she spoke about it with her friends. The heist in the last third definitely had me on my toes. I did not expect what ultimately happened, but I liked it. By the end I had become so emotionally invested, I was heartbroken by the inevitable fallout. Really still feeling the reverberations of everyone's stories, and those HEA's.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the early copy :)
3/5 I'm not sure what to make of this book. It was slow and also fast. Romance but also heist? The romance wasnt romantic enough, the self discovery a bit superficial, the heist a bit lacking st moments. I enjoyed it but also it lacked something which unhelpfully I cannot put my finger on. Really interesting topics and plot and idea. But the execution might miss a bit for me.