This is perfect for fans of Crazy, Rich Asians, Ocean 11 and Counterfeit. Loved the premise of the book where three best friends plan an elaborate heist in order/hopes that it'll bring them happiness. I loved the storytelling and the characters. The multiple POVs had distinct and unique voices. Loved this novel!

I just don’t think this book was for me. Other reviews online said it would be a mixture of Crazy Rich Asians (which is a favorite book series and movie of mine) but with a heist, and so I was excited but personally, I couldn’t really get into it. I loved the talk about the culture and the discussion about how rich they were and at moments found it enjoyable, but overall, I just was not really into this one.

To be fair 3.5

Three friends realize that they want other things from life and not what they have right now. So, they get together to pull the heist of the year in a big wedding stealing the money from the wedding gifts. But making this come true shows how fragile their friendship actually is and puts into question how much they want to get rid of their old lives or not.

It's a fast read and I learned a lot about Chinese society. Some of the themes were a bit underdeveloped. I simply could not follow why and how Jane's husband suddenly became a good guy. It was also hard for me to understand what made Jane 'not pretty' there was no specific description of her face so I am not sure how I was supposed to reach that conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Wan, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Graydon House for graciously sending me the ebook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.

A fun, light heist novel featuring three women driven to desperation when their adult lives don’t turn out as they hoped.

As heist plots go this one isn’t terribly original in terms of the nuts and bolts of it, but the wedding makes for a fun and fresh spin on it, and the novel has a fun twist at the end that adds a layer to the standard model for this style of heist.

But the real appeal of the book is in its characters, three likable and intriguing women hoping to pull of the perfect crime. Together they form a fun and lively heist squad and a sweet and loyal friendship, and as individuals they are each a unique study in how we all manage and struggle against our own personal limitations.

I want crazy about the way that Jane’s story resolved in the end, but the rest of the book wraps up well and the pacing keeps you interested in the story from start to finish.

Women of Good Fortune, by Sophie Wan, is thoroughly entertaining.This audio book had me smiling, laughing, and enjoying the wild ride these interesting characters took me on.

Women of Good Fortune is a great mix of Crazy, Rich, Asians and Ocean's Eleven. Lulu is under the pressure of her family, (mostly her mother) to get married. But she needs to marry someone that will take care of her family too. Lulu doesn't know what she wants to do but she knows she doesn't want to be married. Jane is married already but it isn't a happy marriage. Jane feels like if she was prettier than she could divorce her husband and marry someone that is rich. Rina is a career driven woman that has plan to advance her career before having children. But she has no money to freeze her eggs to insure she will be able to have a family when she is ready.
So the plan is to have Lulu go through with the wedding but while that is going on Rina and Jane will rob the safe with all the monetary gifts will be. As they plan things out and get closer to the wedding things between the three women and the men in their lives. Will they still go through with the plan? If they do will it succeed.

The story was entertaining and reminded me of Oceans 8, but with three ladies. The books represents the women and how they are treated and how they would like to make an effort to change their lifestyle. The story was slow and fast and a bit anti climatic. Overall it was an interesting read.

This was a very fun read full of witty humor and crazy schemes. Three friends in Shanghai are fed up with the way women are treated in Chinese culture. They are all highly intelligent and gifted people but the way society treats them they are more like chattel than human beings. Lulu is newly engaged and basically being sold off as a bride to an extremely wealthy family when all she really wants is her freedom. Rina is a career woman who consistently is passed over for promotion because she is a woman. And Jane is desperate to divorce her husband who controls the purse strings of their marriage. As Lulu's wedding approaches the three friends hatch a devious and complicated plan to steal and split the thousands of yen of wedding gift monies. They believe this will bring them their freedom and happiness. And that's where the real fun begins. I really enjoyed this book, it has a little bit of everything and kept my interest throughout. The author definitely pulled the ending together perfectly. I will never look at a red envelope the same way again! Definitely a 4.5 star rating. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Harper Audio, Harlequin Audio for the chance to read/listen to this entertaining ARC audio book.

4.5 stars, such a fun read! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of the audiobook.

Take Crazy Rich Asians and add in the heist of the decade. Three friends who are desperate to change their circumstances come together and decide to put fate in their own hands. While at first I wasn’t sure if I liked any of the characters, by the end I found myself rooting for all three of them.

Without giving too much away, the writing style was smart and funny, the storyline itself was entertaining and the stakes were high. My only complaint was (and probably because I had the audiobook) that with so many characters and how fast moving the book was at the end, I had a hard time keeping everything straight. I found myself having to re listen to the last 25%.

In Women of Good Fortune, Sophie Wan weaves a tale set in the glitzy backdrop of high-society Shanghai, where the protagonist, Lulu, finds herself on the brink of a marriage she's not sure she wants. Despite reservations, she's enticed by the promise of financial security for her family. With her inner voice urging caution, Lulu turns to her two best friends: Rina, striving for recognition in her career while battling the pressure of time, and Jane, trapped in a lavish yet suffocating marriage, yearning for independence.

United by their frustrations with societal expectations of women and their shared desire for financial freedom, the trio concocts a daring plan to steal the lavish gifts bestowed upon Lulu at her extravagant wedding. As they navigate the complexities of their scheme and confront the consequences, they discover that their pursuit of happiness comes with unexpected sacrifices and moral dilemmas.

Through humor, heart, and a touch of suspense, Women of Good Fortune delves into the intricacies of friendship, love, and the pursuit of fulfillment in a society where money often dictates one's fate. Sophie Wan's debut novel offers a poignant exploration of the lengths people will go to in their quest for security and self-determination.

I found this book to be a delightful mashup of Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean’s 8! It offers a fascinating peek into the opulent lives of Shanghai’s elite while also delving into the intricacies of class dynamics and family hierarchies in China. The plot, while engaging, also sheds light on the topic of government surveillance, providing an eye-opening experience for readers. Despite not taking itself too seriously, the story serves as a celebration of female friendship and defiance against societal norms. The short chapters, engaging story, vivid setting descriptions, and lighthearted tone made it easy for me to become immersed in the drama. Sophie Wan's writing effortlessly draws you into the story, and before you know it, you're entangled in all the twists and turns. Overall, I recommend this book for anyone interested in both women's rights AND women’s wrongs.

Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan offers a thrilling blend of friendship, rebellion, and heist adventure. Three best friends respond to the challenges of a patriarchal society by planning a wedding heist. This novel is a delightful escape, perfect for readers looking for a fun and entertaining read. While not to be taken too seriously, Wan's story is a celebration of realistic female friendship and defiance against societal norms.
If you support both women's rights AND women's wrongs, I recommend this book.

Think Crazy Rich Asians with a fun heist. Lulu is preparing to marry a rich man. A high-society wedding in Shanghai means a large guest list and many large amounts of cash in cards at the wedding. Parts of the story were predictable, while there were some twists that caught me off guard. None of the story line was realistic, but it was still fun to explore. Reading about the heist from all points of views was fun. Many of the characters were just in it for themselves. This was a story about how families are not perfect, friendship and portrayal.

I think I went into this with the wrong expectations. I read that it was a cross between Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean’s Eleven, and was expecting it to be an elaborate heist with a decent amount of humor. And it was! But it was mostly a drama. Women of Good Fortune is the story of three friends who are unsatisfied with their different aspects of their lives, and plan a heist under the assumption that money will solve their problems.

The characters were very compelling, and I found myself very invested in two out of three of their stories. Some serious issues were tackled throughout the book. I did feel frustrated with the main characters at times, and I wish we had seen more character development throughout the book.

I really appreciated the narration, as I was able to hear the Chinese words that I would not have known how to pronounce myself.

I would recommend this if you want a book about friendship and wedding heists!

3.5/5

This book very much gives Crazy Rich Asians vibes and I love it. Note, I don't mean that this is the same story or plot. While there is a massive wedding, this story is totally different.

Lulu is by far my favorite character. Demure and underestimated. Jane is self absorbed and cold to others' feelings. Rina is a workaholic who only makes times for Jane and Lulu. Because of their differences, the heist can go off without a hitch... Or can it?

We have a great redemption arc, with some nice surprises throughout the book. I really appreciate the narrator because there's a lot of Chinese (I'm not sure the exact dialect, I'm sorry!) phrases throughout the book and being able to hear them pronounced correctly helps with the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Audio for the ARC! I really enjoyed this.

3.5 stars
First off, the narration was wonderful and I appreciated being able to listen to words and phrases that I wouldn’t have pronounced correctly in my head if I’d read the book!
I was excited when I read the blurb about a wedding heist. What’s not to love? Well, pretty much every single character in the book. I get the redemption arc and the journeys of self discovery you can experience but if you start too far down in the hole, there’s a risk of losing people before the story even starts to get going. That was definitely my experience. I stuck with it & came to like the people most of them became, even though quite a few of the transformations were quite far removed from where they started. All in all, if you can make it past the first couple of hours, the story does kick into gear!

The best way to describe this book is fun. It was entertaining, it was over the top, it was funny. I think it showed how women are treated in some cultures and also how parents can interact with their children. I thought the premise was fun - and showed some serious issues in not so serious ways. I just wanted some more from the book - more oomph. More details into the characters and more of a realistic storyline (not overall, just at times) I listened to this in less than 2 days and truly enjoyed it. Would definitely recommend it to someone looking for a fun, interesting and entertaining book.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced audio copy.

First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!
Women of Good Fortune was a fun heist book full of women centric plotting and scheming with a healthy dash of self realization and heartwarming moments. Lulu and her friends plan to steal all the gift money from her high society wedding in hopes to build new lives since they’re fed up with how women are treated in Shanghai society. The characters were funny and interesting, there were some twists I dod expect, and the growth of their friendship was believable and sweet. This was an enjoyable read even though I had a little bit of trouble getting into it at first.
3.5⭐️

Felt a little rocky to start as we were getting to know each of the three main characters. It was a love one, like one, leave one situation as they were introduced. But, eventually, they all grow in different and varied ways and have amazing and necessary arcs, so even the one I didn’t really like, gets to a great place.

Once I got into it though, it’s a highly entertaining read. Pressures and expectations (both outside and within) drive these women to find a solution to their problems. Great build and backstories, Lulu, Rina, and Jane are wonderfully individual, each in a different bind and struggling. So why not have a heist!? Playing into their strengths and circumstances, the details all align, and it’s fun and cathartic.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. And I can definitely recommend the audiobook. The narrator was so good.

I never thought a book could be so fun—“Women of Good Fortune” is a crime fiction novel about a wedding turned heist. This is such a fun and interesting premise for a book, and I loved the dialogue, drama, comedy, and character development this book had to offer!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With an arranged marriage, high end purse forgery, and wedding day heist this book has all the components to keep readers interested. The storyline follows multiple characters back stories and reasonings for working together to pull off a big Shanghai heist. Think the updated version of oceans 11.

While the plot was interesting and had the potential to be a top book, I found myself a bit bored in the lulls between big events. Not to mention the conclusion had a LOT of strings to tie together which got a bit muddled. Overall the story was driven by friendship, self acceptance, and family values (or lack there of for some characters) which helped me get to the end.

While not a top read for the year or month, this was a nice light filler book.