Wan's debut is a fun book that is a little bit "Ocean's Eleven," a little bit romance, and a little bit friend drama all smooshed into one. The story follows Lulu as she frets over a wedding she felt the need to say yes to and her two friends, Rina and Jane, who are each stuck in lives that they hate. The three friends meet at Hotpot Palace and devise a scheme to steal the wedding envelopes of cash that are expected at Lulu's wedding so they can each have everything they've always wanted. I admit that it took a while for me to get into the characters, but really enjoyed how Wan had them grow through the story. There is a nice twist at the end that I didn't see coming, too. Thank you to Harper and Harlequin Audio and to NetGalley for the early listen in exchange for my honest opinion. I look forward to recommending this book.

This book gave Kevin Kwan vibes in all the best ways. I loved ALL the characters and how hard they tried to meet the expectations of everyone...except themselves. Don't we all fall into that trap sometimes? The evolution of the characters was great and I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite. A great read!

4.5⭐️A wonderful debut that can best be described as Crazy Rich Asians meets Oceans Eleven.

Short synopsis: Three best friends plan an elaborate wedding heist in hopes that it’ll bring them happiness.

Thoughts: The short chapters, engaging plot, descriptive setting and lighthearted feel made this book a win for me. Sophie Wan did a great job giving readers a glimpse of the extravagant life of Shanghai’s elite all while exploring societal norms and gender expectations. Heist plots can be a hit or miss for me, especially if the book gives off too much of a “cozy” vibe. And while this had that same comedic feel, I loved how it really centered in on the friendship between the three woman and the decisions they made for themselves. Plus, there were some amazing romance side plots that had me swooning (always a win). I had a lot of fun with this via audiobook. It was easy to escape and attend!

Read if you like:
-Shanghai setting
-Three POVs
-Rich people behaving badly
-Stories about female friendships
-Heist plots

Thank you HTP for the ARC! Pub 3/5

Such a delightful heist story with real depth and maturity. The pacing, world and character building were so well-done and the setting in high society Shanghai was perfect, as was the theme of self vs social and parental expectations — I started running the audio super fast towards the end to find out what happened!

An interesting contemporary women's fiction read that has a multicultural interest focus. This is the tale of a reluctant bride, Lulu, and her two best friends. All are fed up with the way society treats women in their high society Shanghai setting. They set a plan in motion to steal Lulu's wedding money to achieve more in their lives that may or may not lead to happiness. Read-a-likes include Crazy Rich Asians, Counterfeit, and titles by Jesse Q. Sutanto.

Sophie Wan’s Women of Good Fortune is her new novel that is a combination of Oceans 12 and Monster-in-Law movies with a glimpse of the sociology of modern China.

Three friends meet every week for a modest hot pot dinner in Shanghai, where they all live and work before Lulu’s engagement to a very wealthy businessman. The other two friends, Rina, a thriving workaholic who is single but yearns to freeze her eggs, which is not done in China; and Jane, a married woman who has champagne tastes on a beer budget, and also has such body dysmorphia that she yearns for plastic surgery, but doesn’t have enough money for such procedures.

The three hatch a plan to steal the monetary gifts safe during the wedding that’s ten months away. It seems like it would provide each stakeholder what she wants most but doesn’t have the money to purchase. For Jane, it’s plastic surgery to finally make her pretty enough to stand on her own and be proud of herself. For Rina, it would be the space to allow her to pursue her professional dreams with eggs ready to go when she is ready, and not having to try to get pregnant now. And for sweet Lulu, she just wants freedom. She wants to make her own decisions without having to have the world and her whole family’s needs on her shoulders.

They enlist a talented forger and a crazy good driver, and hatch their plan that they feel would make all of their dreams come true.

But will it ever be enough for any of them? And what will happen if it all goes wrong?

Thank you SO much for NetGalley and Harper Audio for this audio ARC!! It was heart-poundingly great, and I couldn’t put it down!

A Chinese heist centered around three women best friends and their turbulent romantic and familial woes. Firstly, I thought the audiobook narrator did a great job of bringing all the characters to life and captivating me. The actual writing was easy to fall into and you’re already tangled up in all the drama that ensues. I feel like the first 50% of the book (which is kind of too much) is setting up the characters, their dynamics with one another, and the hardships they’re facing. Once you hit the halfway point, the pacing immediately picks up and you finally get into the meat of the plot! I loved how all three women had romantic side plots, I got invested in each of their stories. The central theme is definitely about sticking up for oneself and being true about your own desires in life rather than going with what other people (especially family) want for you. I also liked how strong the friendships were between our three main characters, really focusing in on how important it is to have those female friendships during hardship.

The pacing felt both sluggish and speedy during different times of the book, but overall I was engaged the whole time. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper audio for the audiobook arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

Many thanks to Net Galley and Harper Audio for an ARC of Sophie Wan’s “Women of Good Fortune” narrated by Catherine Ho. Set in modern Shanghai, three friends, Jane, Lulu and Rina feel like they have no control over their lives. Jane’s biological clock is ticking. Rina, feeling unloved and ugly, was married off to a man who showed more interest in acquiring joint ownership of her property than in her. And Lulu was unable to turn down the marriage proposal of Shanghai’s most eligible bachelor because such a marriage would save her family from poverty. The three women decide to take control of their own lives and steal Lulu’s wedding gift money and make an escape.

This is a light, but fun book that explores friendship, love, and the value of money. As other reviewers have said, it is a cross between “Ocean’s Eleven” and “Crazy Rich Asians” and people who were fans of those movies/books will surely like this one as well. This is my first book by Sophie Wan but I am certain it won’t be my last one.

First I would like to thank Harper Audio and Netgalley for the early access to this audiobook.

This is the story of three close friends, their difficulties trying to live their lives according to their aspirations and against society's standards for women, and the heist they plan as a result.

The three main characters are not overly complex but well developed with each a unique voice and very different personalities and aspirations.
It's full of action, and the heist is very fun and satisfying but it's the human relationships that are at the heart of this book.
The pacing is excellent, and not a line or subplot felt wasted. The narrator dies a fantastic job at bringing all characters to life and giving rhythm to the story.

I had a really great time with this book!

A heist story with a heart! I was not expecting such poignancy in what I thought would be simply a fun escapade tale. This novel has nuanced characters whose stories pull at your emotions while ringing entirely true.
I alternated the egalley with the audio galley and thoroughly enjoyed both. Highly recommended.