"Worth Fighting For" is another in the modern-ish takes of Disney stories. As someone who has read the others and other works by Jesse Q. Sutano, I liked this one! Mulan is my cousin's favorite Disney princess and I am all too familiar with her story. This series has proven to be full of fun reads, and I can't wait to give this book to my cousin once it's out in the wild!

I have been enjoying this Meant to Be series of Disney-classic inspired romance novels so much, and this one is absolutely a joy! The author delivers with the characters, and I particularly love Mushu. I think it's really hard to turn my favorite wacky dragon character from a cartoon into a living, breathing, believable human character in a romcom, and Suntanto did that so beautifully. I also love Mulan's exploration of family and tradition and expectations, and this delivers just the right balance of the original inspiration and the author's unique take on the character's personal and romantic journeys. I love it!

Thank you to Jesse Q. Sutanto, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for the copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mulan was always my favorite Disney princess and also the first time I thought a girl could kick a** and be as strong as men are portrayed while still getting the guy. Love this reimagining romcom

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for providing me an arc of this book. All opinions are honest and my own.

I feel a little split about this one

On one hand, I loved watching Mulan while growing up, and Sutanto does an amazing job of capturing some of the beloved moments from the movie - at one point even quoting the soundtrack.

And I freaking loved Mushu’s character.

However, I felt like certain aspects of the romantic storyline crossed a line. Even though I was rooting for the characters, it was hard to look past this.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. It’s nostalgic, and the writing is easy to read. There are also some really poignant and beautifully written moments in here.

SUGGESTED SNACK PAIRING: whiskey milk punch or chow mein

“The chow mein is savory, with a nice charred flavor from the wok, and the noodles are still chewy, and the sauce [he] has cooked it in hits all the right spots. ‘Best chow mein I've ever had.’”

Triggers: sexism, racism, medical content, animal injury (very slight and briefly mentioned)

Thank you NetGalley, Hyperion Avenue, and Jesse Q. Sutanto for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! This series has been a lot of fun for me, and this one was no exception. This book follows Fa Mulan, who works at her father’s private equity company, in the middle of a stressful time. Her father unexpectedly falls ill right before their critical acquisition of a company. She decides to pretend to be him, and goes for a week long retreat at Shang’s family ranch to try and secure the business deal. Her time at the ranch is so entertaining - there’s cattle wrangling, axe-throwing, and a romance brewing. I laughed out loud multiple times while reading. The romance between her and Shang is also so cute and the pacing is really well-done. I also really enjoyed reading about her relationship with her family. Overall, this book does justice to Mulan, and I think both Disney and romance fans will enjoy it.

I am a huge fan of the "Meant To Be" series and this one did not disappoint. I loved how the book was about Chinese culture and seamlessly wove it into the book without coming off as a history lesson.

I loved the nods to Mulan, clever and intriguing. I enjoy this series a lot! I wish the name would have been different, I dont think it needed to be so directly the same.

Another fabulous addition to the Meant to Be Series that will be releasing June 3, 2025. I received this book from NetGalley for my honest opinion and was thrilled to have a chance to read it. I enjoy most of Jesse Q. Sutanto's books and this modern day fairly tale adaptation was so fun to read. Now, Mulan is not my favorite Disney story but this modern day remake was great! Fa Mulan has been a woman working in a man's world for quite some time so she's got the skills to put all those finance bro's she works with in their place but when her father falls ill in the middle of a corporate acquisition, Mulan is pretty sure she has what it takes to step in. Then she discovers that the company in question is known for their ultra manly whiskey brand and would rather work with her father. Knowing that the companies leaders have only conversed with her father Fa Zhou through email, Mulan pretends to be Zhou-- an ultra successful & powerful CEO. But then she's invited to the family ranch and a week of cattle herding, sheep sheering, horseback riding, and more has her re-thinking her strategy. Especially when Shang and Mulan find it harder and harder to ignore the sparks flying between them.

A modern retelling of the Disney classic Mulan!

Mulan was my absolute favorite Disney princess growing up (yes, I know she's not technically a princess, but she's always pictured with the others on merch and things so let me have this) so I was very excited for this modern day retelling! I've read a few of Jesse Q. Sutanto's other works and have really enjoyed them, so my hopes were very high for this one!

I definitely enjoyed this read, but found some of the dialogue and characters fell flat for me. I haven't read any of the other books in this series, so maybe I'm not familiar with some of the modern retelling aspects. I will admit it was a bit hard to get through at times. Some of the pacing dragged on, while other parts breezed past.

With that said, it was still a great read. I appreciated the exploration of how patriarchy and male chauvinist culture manifest differently in various ways depending on a person's experience. Mulan was well written, as stubborn and kind hearted as always. Overall, a fun retelling of one of my favorite Disney movies!

A big thank you to Jesse Q. Sutanto, Hyperion Ave, and NetGalley for the ARC <3

Whilte Mulan is not my favourite Disney Princess, this might be my favourite book in the series so far. I love the way that Jesse Sutanto moved the story from an actual battlefield to the battlefield of business. I couldn't get enough!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This was a storytelling remake of Mulan. The book incorporated all the rom-com tropes but lacked something for me. The male chauvinist theme made sense but it fell flat for me. There was some good humor, but this story didn’t live up to the level of the other 4 books on this series.

I love this series and Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies so I was excited for this story. I think fans of the author and series will enjoy this romance but I found the chemistry, tension, and dialogue to be a bit forced and tame. The set up and concept was great though and will appeal to many.

Worth Fighting For is an updated spin on Mulan that Jesse Suntanto fans will love. Mulan as a female finance bro was fantastic, Mushu, as always, was the perfect comic relief, and the chemistry between Mulan and Shang was palpable. This was a delightful read perfect for when you need a break from all of life's heaviness!

A modern telling of Mulan and Shang as Mulan's dad, Zhou wants to buy out Shang's family-run whiskey company. The only issue is that Shang's family only wants to work with Zhou, which becomes a problem when he has a heart attack. Mulan has to find a way to get the Li's to consider being bought out by her dad's company.
This was such a good modern re-telling of Mulan and Shang. I loved the humor and especially Mushu.

This was such an amazing retelling and a very interesting take on Mulan’s story. I really loved all of the characters and thought that Mushu was hilarious. The chemistry between Shang and Mulan was amazing and I loved how everything turned out in the end. Would highly recommend this if you enjoy strong and powerful FMCs and retellings.

This contemporary reimagining of Mulan is a delightful read! Jesse Q. Sutanto has crafted a witty and engaging story with a strong female lead. Mulan is a fantastic character – independent, intelligent, and hilariously resourceful. The "pretending to be her father" plot device is clever, and the author keeps the twists and turns coming.

The romance between Mulan and Shang is sweet and believable, with a healthy dose of banter and playful chemistry. The setting of the ranch provides a charming backdrop, and the descriptions of the ranch life and the family dynamics are vivid and engaging.

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

MULAN is one of my favorite Disney movies and I was thrilled to hear that it would be getting a retelling, however, as much as I loved the little glimpses of the movie, the novel fell a bit short for me.

WORTH FIGHTING FOR took a while to get into and didn’t really pick up until Mulan and Shang met in person and headed to the Li family ranch. Part of this could have been because the finance business and company acquisition details hold no interest for me. But once I got past that and was able to see Mulan “proving” herself to the Li family and her banter-filled interactions with Shang, I felt compelled to keep reading to see what would happen next.

I loved Mulan, Shang, Mushu, and Auntie Jiayi, and definitely could relate to Mulan’s need to work twice (or even three times!) as hard as her male counterparts while dealing with misogynistic men. However, this is where Mulan’s first lie, taking her father’s name, didn’t necessarily make sense to me. I can understand using her father’s name and position in the company to help close an incredibly important deal, but the men of the Li family, who were the ones making the decision whether or not to sell, were very patriarchal. I don’t believe simply changing her name to her father’s and seeming to be a partner in the company would have swayed them because she was still young and female. It was pretty clear from their lack of respect for their sister’s opinions that handing over the reins to Mulan would never happen, no matter her place in the company or how well she proved herself through shearing sheep or herding cattle.

I went into this book with minimal expectations as I have yet to read the others in this series. This is not a thought provoking book by any means, other than the female empowerment side plot. However, this book was such a fun time and had such good vibes. It read sooo easily and was enjoyable. A huge thank you to Netgalley for an arc of this in return for my honest review.

Based on the story of Mulan, this book tells the story of Mulan a “female finance bro” who has struggled her whole life with being a woman in a male dominated field and growing up in a culture that values women over men. When her father is hospitalized before a meeting with a potential client he cares a lot about, Mulan (with the help of her cousin, Mooshu) must pretend to be her father to win over Shang and his old-fashioned family who don’t believe a woman can lead the buyout of their family business. It has a lot more depth and up front feminism than many a romance novel, which made it easy for me to engage with and relate to the characters on multiple levels. It was really great to see representation of what it’s like to be career driven, handling a male-dominated work environment, and prioritizing family/love instead of just seeing one dimension of that.

“Worth Fighting For” tells you what it is - a take on Mulan - from the jump. Of the “Meant to Be” books, it’s the one that is most obviously derived of its source material. While I enjoyed that, and think it’s a brilliant modern take on the story, I wouldn’t recommend to readers looking for a more subtle reference.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC of this book! I’m flattered.

I absolutely adore the movie version of Mulan and was so excited to get my hands on this book. Overall though, I am feeling let down. I’ll start with the good though!

I thought her approach of using the example of women in the finance world was a very smart way to retell the original story. I especially loved how she used this new storyline to explore traditional vs. modern cultural expectations within the Chinese community, especially among immigrants. This version of Mulan was complex, and her character develops nicely throughout the book. I also think Shang, Auntie Jiayi, and Mushu were great supporting characters that furthered the exploration of modern gender roles (or lack therefore). The four of them together made a fun little group.

Unfortunately, I think a lot of the positive was lost in the writing, which felt rushed and immature. If I never hear the phrase “finance bro” again in my life, it will be too soon. The dialogue often felt awkward and forced. And at times it felt like she kind of lost the thread of where she was going with this whole “acting like a man” thing. Plus the insta love was so insta-lovey, even though there was not a ton of interaction or chemistry between Mulan and Shang. I think it just could have used much better editing.

Anyway, I see what Sutanto was trying to accomplish here and I applaud her attempt. She clearly put her heart and personal experiences into this book, and she covered some really important topics. It just did not do it for me.