"Women of Good Fortune" by Sophie Wan presents an intriguing premise but fell short of expectations for me. While the concept of three women navigating Shanghai's societal pressures and financial desires is compelling, I struggled to fully connect with the characters and become immersed in their stories. Despite moments of tension, the plot felt disjointed, and pacing issues hindered my overall enjoyment of the book. While the exploration of themes such as money and societal expectations is commendable, the execution left something to be desired.

This book was incredible! This needs to be a movie and this cover?? 1000000/10 no notes. Impeccable writing, pacing and plot. Sophie Wan is here to stay!

I was pulled in by the premise, who doesn't love a good heist?

Overall, this was a fun and entertaining story following 3 friends that are all fed up with society in different ways. I liked getting to see their different perspectives on what they want in life and what they have been pressured into doing.

The pacing of the book felt off - some parts moved slowly and lost my focus.

I had to suspend belief to go along with their plan, but I really appreciated the twists and turns in the end.

For a book that checked all my boxes (rich people, heist, diverse settings) at first glance, this was remarkably boring. I'm sure it will be a big hit though.

Women of Good Fortune is a delightful story of female friendship, rich people behaving badly, and a heist, that fans of Dial A for Aunties or Crazy Rich Asians will love!

For totally different reasons, three best friends—Lulu, Jane, and Rina—are all fed up with the way they are treated as women in society in Shanghai. Jane has spent her life being told she is too ugly to amount to anything, and despite her education and new marriage, all she wants is the money for surgery to change her appearance once and for all. Rina was raised in California but moved back to Shanghai with her parents when they retired and now works her life away in a job that refuses to promote her as an unmarried woman of childbearing age. Lulu's family has always expected her to provide for them, and she lives a life of poverty in the big city to send money to support her parents and her good-for-nothing brother.

Their fates all change when Lulu is discovered by the wealthy son of a billionaire, who asks her to marry him and elevates her to the elite of society. More or less reluctantly, the three friends agree to a heist to steal the wedding gifts, which will give them all the money they need to achieve their dreams: plastic surgery for Jane, a trip to the States to freeze her eggs for Rina, and financial freedom from her family for Lulu. They proceed with their plans in the months leading up to the wedding and, in the process, come face to face with their truest desires and the insecurities that have pushed them to desperation.

Women of Good Fortune was a very fun read about female friendship, the treatment of women in Chinese culture, and self-discovery. Each character has a satisfying arc with growth, romance, and self-discovery. This is a very strong debut and I look forward to reading Sophie Wan's future books!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC! 3.5 stars.

A quick and engaging read! Lulu is getting married to a wealthy man, but she doesn't want the wedding to happen. Definitely reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians if the characters decided to sabotage the wedding and steal the gift money. Shanghai culture tells women that they only have a few short years to marry well and never work again, but Lulu isn't convinced. A fast, rom-com with great social commentary that sheds light on social class and women's roles in Shanghai, I'd recommend this for those who like easy-to-read romcoms, lavish weddings, Shanghai culture, and fun heists!

3.5 rounded up. Entertaining heist story about a group of friends who are tired of being mistreated in their lives. Each storyline was interesting to follow, but I enjoyed Jane’s the most. It was a steady buildup to the wedding heist, and there are some good twists and turns in the final act. I also appreciated the epilogue, but I wanted a bit more of an emotional punch for a high stakes heist that centered on friendship and marriage.

Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for the eARC.

Three friends who are very dissatisfied with their lives - and with the way women are treated (especially in Eastern culture).
Rina, the career-minded woman who watches time pass and is unable to achieve her desired position at work.
Jane, the housewife, tired of married life, dreams of divorcing her husband.
And Lulu, like her friends, knows that money is the answer to the independent life she so desires.
When Lulu receives a marriage proposal from none other than Shanghai’s most eligible bachelor, she and her friends decide on the perfect plan to achieve the independence they so desire.

A story about friendship, family expectations. and the most intimate desires.
3,5 stars

I thought this book sounded it like it had so much potential. I just felt like I couldn't relate to this one and I found the story a little boring.

I have a real soft spot for this book! Three best friends who all have different dreams plan to do a heist at a wedding and things go awry pretty quickly. Great premise and I thought the execution was fun, too, I really enjoyed all of the main characters (Lulu, Rina, and Jane), the partners, the mothers, and the stories about obligation, freedom, and friendship.

It seemed like the perfect plan….

In Shanghai, three young women want to create the lives they have always wanted to lead. Lulu is the youngest, from modest country beginnings, whose beauty and sweet nature has caught the attention of Harv, the son of one of the wealthiest families in the city. When Harv proposed, everyone (especially her own family) were so convinced that she should accept that she did….even though she doesn’t have any feelings for him. Jane, told her whole life that she was not pretty and therefore would never snag a husband, has recently married Zihao, a brilliant young man who most likely married her because she owned an apartment in the city. She spends her days trying to buy designer clothes and bags which she thinks will compensate for her plain looks, and thinks of a way to get a divorce. Rina grew up in the US, and is determined to climb the corporate ladder through sheer hard work and perseverance even though being a woman puts her at an extreme disadvantage in this culture; it is assumed that at some point she will have a baby and leave the company in the lurch. When the women first became friends, they called themselves the Leftovers, a term used for women who have aged out of the marriage market. Each of the friends needs a large sum of money in order to fulfill their dreams, and they decide to steal all of the money that will be given to Lulu and Harv on their wedding day and disappear. They plot and plan the perfect heist….but love and loyalty may be hard to leave behind.
Women of Good Fortune is a fun and at times poignant story of women’s friendship, the strictures of women’s lives in Chinese culture, and the many strains and demands put on children by their family.. In addition to Lulu, Jane and Rina, there is the wealthy fiancé who can never please his father, the soon-to-be mother-in-law who runs her son’s life and has every intention of ruling over her daughter-in-law-to-be, the Casanova best man who has his eye on independent Rina, Jane’s long suffering husband Zihao, a woman creating a reproduction fashion empire and a niece who can drive like a Hollywood stunt person. As the months go by and the wedding gets closer, each woman starts to reevaluate what what they have, what they want, and whom they will hurt if pursuit of their dreams. An over-the-top wedding sets the scene for the planned caper…with all their planning, what could possibly go wrong (hint: just about everything)? I enjoyed the quirky characters (well, except maybe Jane, I didn’t really like her too much) and the descriptions of Chinese customs and mores, and I rooted for each woman to find their happiness. Fans of authors like Kevin Kwan, Kirsten Chen, and Kyla Zhao will likely enjoy this easy-to-read tale that has a little bit of a Sex in the Ciry vibe. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin/Graydon House for allowing me early access to first time author Sophie Wan’s engaging novel.

Three best friends planning a heist?? What could possibly go wrong... It was an adventure to follow these women's journey and I had so much fun learning about each character. It was thrilling with some unexpected twists! Being Asian myself, I found parts of this book comforting to read. It was interesting to see the different perspectives and issues that each friend had to face. They were able to find their own happiness going against society's expectations of them. Overall, I enjoyed the lighthearted feel and meaningful themes of this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing & Sophie Wan for this ARC.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: March 5, 2024

I was excited for the chance to read this book that sounded like a cross between Crazy Rich Asians and Oceans 8. This had the bonus of a setting in Shanghai—a place I lived for some time. Unfortunately it didn’t live up to the expectations I had set for it. While it was fun to go around some parts of Shanghai, I found the characters difficult to root for. I think on the heels of Crazy Rich Asians, I came looking for an opulent over the top wedding and left disappointed. This unfortunately didn’t hold my interest—in theory all of the things happening should’ve been exciting, but instead I was just bored.

Women of Good Fortune
By: Sophie Wan-new author for me
Published 3/5/24, read 3/2/24

✔️Asian/Chinese Lit
✔️ Women's Fiction
✔️ Romance
✔️ Heist
✔️ Multiple POVs
✔️ 3 BFFs/female friendships

This is the story of a high-society Shanghai wedding with a reluctant bride Lulu and her two best friends Rina and Jane. Each woman has their own motives, but are tired of the sexism and misogyny in their lives. They devise a plan to steal all the gift money on Lulu's wedding day in hopes of gaining financial freedom and independence.

This is a male dominated world in Shanghai's high society where Lulu, Rina, and Jane are pawns. Lulu hardly knows the man she's marrying, and she doesn't even like him. Rina is a career woman being passed over for promotions to her male counterparts. And the person I feel the most for is Jane. She's an unhappy housewife with a husband who only married her for a place to stay. She has been told she's unlovable and ugly by her parents, and she just wants a divorce and some plastic surgery.

This is such a well done story about Asian and Chinese culture. Their parents are very overbearing, meddlesome, and kind of mean.
I found their lives very stifled by societal norms and gender expectations. The heist plot gives vibes from the movie w/ all women cast "Oceans 8" and "Mad Money" with the women's financial situations.

This novel is a look at life's disappointments, jobs, family, and even fertility. I loved the journey of all three women trying to navigate their lives in a conformist culture.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Graydon House for this ARC❤️ ! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

This book is quite a fun ride. I love all five women. Each one is unique and jumps off the page. I loved watching Lulu, Rina, and Jane figure out what they really wanted in life. Money is amazing but sometimes the things we truly need don’t cost money, they cost something else. The heist itself is well thought out and the buildup is beautifully done. Everything about this book is just fun and lively. Readers are going to love diving into this book, and it is the perfect choice for a book club.
Thank you so very much to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Happy Pub Day to Sophie Wan 🎉🎉🎉

I chose to travel to Shanghai this month as part of the Travel the World challenge. This is also my first book review for Women's History Month, and this story about three best friends who decide to go all out to get what they want is the perfect pick.

- Lulu comes from a poor family who relies on her to better their circumstances, so she agrees to marry a man she does not love for money
- Rina is overworked and tired of being passed over for promotions for men much younger than she is as her biological clock ticks away
- Jane comes from a well-to-do family who pressures her into marrying a man she does not know because she's been rejected one too many times for not being conventionally good-looking.

These three women must come up with a plan to get what they desire. Lulu wants to be free. Rina needs more time. Jane wants to be beautiful. In order to get the funds they need to make their dreams a reality, the three besties come up with a plan to steal all the gift money on Lulu's wedding day. Will they be able to pull it off with their friendship in tact?

This book was a rollercoaster. It was fun reading about the people they bring in on the heist and how the details come together and so anxiety-inducing with all the twists and close calls on the big day. What stood out to me was what women are willing, I use "willing" loosely because sometimes they don't have a choice, to do to appease their parents and society. Rina has to deal with an overbearing, misogynistic boss, but her situation is okay compared to Jane and Lulu's, whose future monster-in-law alone would have been enough to make me disappear. And the way Jane's mother speaks to her made my blood boil. Jane, to me, was the most interesting character. She grew up being told she was ugly and so spends her life looking for acceptance from society. She has a tough exterior, but underneath is someone who's hurt from rejection. She surprised me most of all. Great character development.

This was an insightful read that gives a look into the superficial world of the ruling class.

This was a fun mashup of Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean's Eleven. What a fun story! It was engaging and lighthearted. A perfect book to take on vacation with you.

As someone who is half Asian, I absolutely loved this. You have a bride and two of her besties (which their own things to gain) who make up this elaborate scheme to steal the money from gifts given due to the upcoming nuptials. They soon learn that it is easier said that done. There is humor, there are relationships in question, and there is even a romance. This was witty and the plot was original. The character development was excellent and the storyline flowed smoothly.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing & Sophie Wan for this ARC copy of Women of Good Fortune!


I loved all of the background and cultural information! This book was great in some parts but lacked in others. I loved the idea behind the whole wedding heist but feel it could have been executed in a different way.

I didn't enjoy this much - Felt too catty but it was definitely entertaining - Maybe it was just my mood then?
Could frankly have stuck to one character's POV and i would have liked it much more