📖 Book Review 📖

🎧 "Women of Good Fortune" by Sophie Wan

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Published March 5, 2024

Thank you @Netgalley for the audiobook

A great novel similar to “Crazy Rich Asians” but with a high-society wedding heist to add some extra excitement. The writing is funny, engaging and heartfelt as the bride-to-be Lulu, along with her 2 best friends plan to steal the money gifted to her and her groom. Lulu is so lucky to be marrying into one of Shanghai’s most prominent families so of course the wedding will be over the top gorgeous and enough money to transform the women’s lives and solve all their problems.

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Voice spot on, details crisp, pacing great. Loved the interplay between the characters--their friendship doesn't save all--the women learn to save themselves. Fantastic cover--excited to sell this one.

Lulu is set to be married to one of Shanghai’s most desirable men even though everything inside her is telling her this is not what she wants. This marriage would be great for her family, a means to secure them financial security but at what cost? Lulu can only confide in her two best friends, Rina, career driven and constantly being overlooked in favor of her male colleges and Jane, who longs to upgrade her life, which includes divorcing her husband and marrying up. All three of them desire something different with one thing in common, money. Lulus wedding is a shining opportunity to get that life altering money they all so desperately want. But can they get away with stealing money from one of Shanghai’s wealthiest and most famous families noses?

I enjoyed this book, but felt the first half was a little big slow paced for me. It definitely got a little more fast paced about halfway through and I thought the ending was great I listened to the audio version and thr narrator was great and the pacing was good and easy to listen to.. I enjoyed the different characters and their rich character development. Each character had something unique to them and it helped make them feel more real and to distinguish between them. I enjoyed the format of the book, each chapter telling us how long until the wedding and each chapter being told from a different characters POV. Having never visited China, I enjoyed the description of Shanghai and daily life there.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review is for the audiobook version of the novel. 3.5 Stars
The narrator did a great job of distinguishing between all of the characters, male and female. So I enjoyed the choice of narrator.
I was initially excited about the premise of the book, an all women heist, like an Oceans 8. 3 friends, decide they are going to commit a heist, during the wedding of one of the women. Each believes the money stolen from the wedding could provide them with a much better future than they are currently living. A better fortune, or are they ignoring good fortune and are completely oblivious to how good they have it? The story takes you through the heist and the aftermath. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, it was OK.
Ultimately, the book was too long. It could have got where it was going in much less time. The audio was at least 2 hours longer than it needed to be. It started to feel like the story was dragging on, and I started to get annoyed with the women.
The conclusion did neatly wrap up in the epilogue.
3.5 STARS (since Goodreads doesn't have half stars). Not quite 4 stars, better than 3, and I would recommend it to others.

This story follows Lulu, Rina, and Jane as they scheme to steal money from Lulu’s wedding in order to fund their individual plans for escaping the roles and expectations put on them by their culture and families.

It was a really fun story and I loved how each character grew in a unique was that was well-suited for their individual personalities. I was also happy with how the story line was wrapped up and the freedom each character was able to find.

If you’re into stories that push back against patriarchal power structures, feature witty female characters becoming who they want to be, and display beautiful friendships, then this book should go on your TBR!

I loved this story so much!! It's like a heisty Crazy Rich Asians. I loved the strong female friendship representation. The culture present was done well. It sucks you in quick and keeps you on the edge of your seal. It was a very hard read to put down at night. I really enjoyed seeing the growth in all of the characters.

Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan is like if you took Crazy Rich Asians and mixed it with a little Ocean’s Eleven and Counterfeit by Kristen Chen—which is to say cinematic, surprisingly touching and super fun.

Lulu is engaged to the most eligible bachelor in Shanghai—but between how fast the relationship is moving, her heinous mother in law to be, and the expectations of her own overbearing family to “marry up” and take care of them, she’s searching for a way out. When her best friends with their own money-problems (Jane, desperate to divorce her husband and get plastic surgery and Rina, tired of being looked over for promotion at work and facing a fertility situation she can’t afford) offhandedly suggest stealing the veritable fortune that will be gifted at the high society wedding, it sparks something in them all.

Next thing you know they’re all using their own special skills to assemble a crew and plan an outrageous heist on her wedding day. But of course, things won’t seem to go to plan and hearts get tangled up and broken in the process. Will their friendship survive the pressure?

I really enjoyed this vengeful team of conwomen who were fed up with society’s narrow constraints for them and decided to do something about it. They were funny, brash and clever and never had a dull moment. I liked how their personal situations each had their own twist by the end and though I wish the characters had more depth to them, I was still into it and rooting for them. Rina and Jane each had their own side-love stories that were actually so much better than Lulu’s main one so I wish they had got more playtime, too.

All in all a quick fun read for fans of lying stealing ladies and female friendship.

Thanks to @netgalley and @harperaudio @harlequin_audio for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Interesting concept that kept me hooked trying to figure out what would happen next! I enjoyed getting to know all three women and how their lives seemed very different and yet similar when it came to having control over their circumstances and money. I liked the ingenuity of their heist and the over-the-top attitudes of some of the characters. Heartwarming and a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Narration was excellent!

CRAZY RICH ASIANS meets OCEAN’S 8 with a splash of COUNTERFEIT, is this immersive, enjoyable red envelope wedding heist book featuring a “leftover woman” and her two best & equally unhappy friends. More books like this, please

3.5 ⭐️ I really liked this book! I requested this ARC audio book without really reading much about it, and I ended up kind of loving the whole thing. Love the heist aspect while still being more of a novel about 3 friends and the different life circumstances they’ve been given. So good! The audio book was very well done. I loved it and will totally recommend it to others.

I adored the description of this book—Crazy Rich Asians meets Oceans 11.
Unfortunately, it did neither of them very well . I ended up DNFing this book around 75%. The characters never made want to join in their journey.

This book centers on a traditional Shanghi wedding between Lulu and Harv. Harv’s family is very wealthy and Lulu’s family is overjoyed with what this wealth can do for their family. Lulu, however, does not feel the same, as she wants to marry for love.

Lulu and her two best friends, Rina and Jane, are all looking for change and a different life path. They cook up a plan to steal all of the “red envelopes” full of money from the wealthy, high society wedding guests. They plan on using the money to help forge the futures they want for themselves. Their plan seemed a little extreme in my opinion.

Friendship, love, life and the big heist are the main topics in the book. Additionally, we are informed of the role of men, women, sons and daughters in the Chinese culture.

The story seemed rushed and I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters. It was just okay for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an audio copy of this book.

For more of Angie and Lauren's book reviews, follow us on Instagram: @BluejackBookGirls

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! BONUS: the audiobook reader was FANTASTIC!!!

I started to enjoy this a little bit more the longer it went on, but largely I wasn't a fan. Maybe it's because I could not relate to these characters at all, but I think it had more to do with the story itself.

This is the story of three friends: Lulu, Rina, and Jane. They are all female Asians that came from lesser means in China during the time of the one-child policy. Jane is married to a man she does not love, Rina has sworn herself to singleness until she can get further in her career, and Lulu is preparing to marry the wealthiest eligible bachelor in Shanghai. Each of these friends has a character that made them, more or less, completely insufferable lol.

Jane can't seem to go more than 5mins without making some kind of negative comment about her face. She hates her appearance and the only solution she has is to get plastic surgery to completely change it, just as her mother did. She is constantly seeking approval from everyone else about how she looks; even when her husband tells her that he doesn't want her to change the way she looks, she basically says that that's not enough and she needs everyone to love her face. Really hated that bit. Rina is climbing the corporate ladder and aspires to be top-dog at the firm she works for. She kinda hates Shanghai, but she stays to try to keep control over not just her life, but her parent's, as well. Lulu has no backbone and will not stand up for herself ever and it was driving me absolutely bonkers the entire time. I just wanted to shake her and scream "LULU PLEASE JUST SAY 'NO'!!" But alas, I don't think she would have heard me. Maybe the problem is that this is simply the way things are within the Chinese culture and I just don't understand it? If so, please extend me some grace there. I'm not sure that's the case, though.

I did enjoy getting a better understanding of an aspect of the Chinese culture through this novel, but I don't know that I think it was worth the cost. There were parts of this story that moved REALLY fast (most pointedly the ending/Part 3) and other parts that felt like they were going to drag on forever... very inconsistent pacing. Nothing in this felt realistic and maybe that was the point, idk. I just know this was not my cup of tea.

A really fun and fast paced story about a group of girlfriends planning a big heist, that also includes romance, friendships, family dynamics and expectations, and women in demanding careers.

I loved the story, the set up of the book, the timeline and how fast paced yet how very detailed everything was. The friendship between Lulu, Jane and Rina really shines throughout the story and Sophie Wan does a great job of showing how their friendship is affected by planning this big heist during Lulu's wedding.

The audiobook was very well done and made it a lot of fun to hear the characters perspectives as everything was going on. I had a lot of fun listening to Women of Good Fortune and learning more about Chinese culture in this entertaining book.

If you loved Crazy Rich Asians and the Finlay Donovan series, you'd definitely love this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio, Harlequin Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was definitely very entertaining but I will say the characters stressed me out a bit. I could never imagine planning a heist like this!! It was very heartwarming to watch their stories evolve and see how they grew as people and as friends.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sophie Wan for the ARC!

This book was a delightful and smart read. I loved the friendship between Lulu, Jane, and Rina as well as the strong female characters with alternating points of view by these three women. The story is set in Shanghai as Lula is set to marry Harv. However, Lula isn't in love with him nor does she want to get married. Her best friends jump in and decided to steal all the gift money on the big day and help Lulu escape her marriage based on class and financial gain. I loved the heist and the crazy antics the women scheme to steal the money as well as each one's unique storyline. The culture aspects of high class Chinese traditions of marriage for status and wealth, parental expectations, and women's place in society are explored in these three female characters. The book was a fast read and character driven with also a fun and exciting plot with a bit of romance. For anyone who loved Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan or Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen, then you will enjoy this book. I hope there will possible be a sequel to this book as I would love to know more about what happens to these three friends. The audiobook was fantastic with a wonderful narrator.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

High society Shanghai wedding heist! Yes please! If you loved the movie Ocean’s Eight you will love this book. Difference POVs and great character development. Strong women who know what they want and go for it. This is a fun read although will make you sad at how women are sometimes viewed as less than.

Great -audiobook

I thank you to netgalley for letting me listen to an advance copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the advance audiobook.
This book is about two friends, who decide to try and steal the wedding presents for one of the friends upcoming wedding. I thought this a good book. Finished in one day.

Thank you Netgalley, Sophie Wan, and Harper Audio for this great audiobook!! A great listen narrated by Catherine Ho. This was a great story with cultural context. A must listen!