I adored this book. Mulan was always one of my favorite movies when I was younger so I was very excited to read this. This was such a great modern take on the story. Also, the way Jesse incorporated the movie was brilliant. I highly recommend.

other possible titles: Mulan being a bad-ass in every universe

I think every book in this meant to be series has been a complete 180º from the last and I never know what to expect. with the last one taking inspiration from Tangled, I found that it lacked references and didn't feel super connected to the movie but with this book, we had references galore. in most of the other books, the characters had names that were a take on their movie counterparts but here, Mulan was simply named Mulan and I absolutely loved it (of course shang as well). even Mushu got his name taken literally, except that he was now a girl and Mulan's little cousin; but it made sense considering how well this book brought out the feminist side of Mulan's story. there were even plenty of references to other powerful women in media from the take on the iconic pride and prejudice intro to the famous Elle Woods line.

like the other books in this series, it was a cute story and getting to read all these different interpretations of the classic Disney princesses has been a joy. however, I will say I'm not sure I loved how far the relationship went between Mulan and Shang before the truth came out and Mulan's general obsession with Shang and talking about kissing him every 2 pages was a little much. also, I know this girl probably hasn't done a lot of manual labour in her time but can we get her some hand grip strengtheners for all her hand cramps?

damn I need to rewatch Mulan now. 2.5/5
thanks to hyperion avenue and netgalley for the arc!

This is an ARC from NetGalley. I enjoy this entire series of Disney retellings that are set in modern times. This Mulan take was not my favorite. The revamped storyline was unique and solved some of the more challenging plotlines of the original, but I could not get into the story. It may have been the repeated use of finance bros, the large extended cast, or the nonstop reminder of traditional Chinese culture, and the roles women have historically been expected to have. This never got flowing for me, and was ready to be done half way through. #netgalley #worthfightingfor #mulan #disneyretelling

every mulan retelling/reimagining is so utterly My Shit it’s incredible. this is a pretty straightforward modern retelling (without the war part) so i think those who love the disney movie will be satisfied. i LOVED the romance in this— it’s as perfect as it was in the movie. the twist on mushu made so much sense & was so fun. i also really liked how perfectly this balanced being fun & the more serious topics like misogyny. it never stopped being a romcom, but it also didn’t shy away from the realities of so many women.

This was a 3.75/5 star read for me. The first 50% of the book wasn't my favorite. It was dealing so heavily with the finance side of things and used many terms that I didn't understand well. It was so heavily into it that I just couldn't enjoy it. It didn't feel like a light read. However, the last 50% of the book was amazing! I loved Shang and Mulan's romance. It made for a sweet retelling. I hated how all of the women were treated but it made it true to life and how things are. I especially loved the epilogue. Auntie Jiayi was by far my favorite character. Overall, I would say that it was a good book and I would recommend it. Just know that parts of this book deal heavily with finance and business and can make it a more difficult read.

Disney big screen magic strikes again.

This is the 5th in the series. Each book is a standalone. “Tangled in You” a Rapunzel retelling, “Kiss the Girl”, The Little Mermaid, retelling “ and” If the Shoe Fits”, a Cinderella retelling were previously read by me so had high expectations.

Here’s where the author excels. Mushu is not just the funny, supportive sidekick. She also embodies the importance of female friendship. Shang is not just the physically attractive MMC CEO. He’s also a devoted son and flips gender stereotypes with his talent in the kitchen. And, Mulan, what about our central character? Her reason for impersonating her father is more than filial piety and career advancement. Read this book and discover the why.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Hyperion Avenue, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

WorthFightingFor #NetGalley

This book isn’t just a retelling of Mulan, it is a beautifully written story about parental and self pressure and hardships of immigrants. When I started this book, I thought I knew exactly how it was going to be written and progressed and I couldn’t have been more wrong. As soon as Mushu was introduced, I decided to stop guessing and enjoy the ride and boy did I. I loved this adaptation and I can’t wait to look up other books from this author!

My favorite "Meant to Be" book so far!!!
I love this series so much, and when I saw that a Mulan version was coming out I was pumped. And when I heard it was Jesse Sutanto, I was even more excited! I loved Dial A for Aunties, and it seems that her writing of style is so consistent with this one as well.
I loved the modern take on Mulan, with the sexism coming through business instead of military. I enjoyed the addition of Shang's mom, and Mushu being Mulan's cousin!

It was so cute; it kept to the original story but with so many fun additions and takes. The romance was *chef's kiss*

I will be (and already have) been recommending this book to people!

This is a modern day Mulan retelling. Mulan works at a finance company for her father. Her father wants to invest in a whiskey company that is known for its misogynistic tendencies. Her father gets sick and she pretends to be him. Shang runs the whiskey company and Mulan has to convince him to work with her. There are a lot of references to the movie that feel too on the nose. There are also lots of finance bros and having to fight as a woman to be noticed.

I enjoyed reading this because I am a fan of Mulan and a fan of Jesse Sutanto! Thank goodness for the comic relief with Mushu. She made the book for me. I felt like some of the storyline was hard to believe (Mulan learning how to do tasks from watching one YouTube video). Other than that, I think there were heartwarming moments, and I think Jesse did the Mulan story proud.

As a lover of Mulan, I was so excited for this re-telling in the Meant to Be series and Jesse Sutanto did not disappoint!!! I was hooked from the beginning and could barely put this down.

Mulan pretends to be her father in an attempt to secure a business deal after he becomes ill. She is faced with a family and company that do not take women seriously and are often belittling. Throughout the book, she relies on her amazing cousin Mushu for strength and wit and falls for the CEO of said company, Shang (swoon, my true Disney love). The book tackles topics such as toxic masculinity, gender stereotypes, racism, and the immigrant experience, while telling an absolutely wonderful story! Absolutely fantastic!!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

Big thanks to NetGalley for letting me dive into this ARC!

This book is a super cute modern-day retelling of Disney’s Mulan. In this version, Mulan steps into her dad’s shoes to help his private equity firm secure a whiskey company deal. Somehow, this leads her to posing as a cowgirl and working on a ranch—completely out of her comfort zone.

Mulan’s journey of smashing glass ceilings in the finance bro world is inspiring, though there were moments where she felt a little more naive than expected, considering her career accomplishments. That said, it totally fits with the Disney vibe, so it worked!

The story is told through Mulan’s POV, and the writing is hilarious. Seriously, I need more Mushu in my life—she’s an absolute highlight.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read that left me smiling. ♥️

As a diehard Disney fanatic I’m totally embarrassed to say I didn’t know about the Meant to Be Series until now. But as someone who thinks Mulan is criminally under-appreciated I must say this was the perfect book for me to start with. You see Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto is a reimagining of Mulan as a modern day romance. Instead of pretending to be a man to be able to fight in her father’s place, in this story Mulan assumes her father’s role in business negotiations. When her father has a heart attack and ends up in the hospital, Milan assumes her father’s position/persona within the company to enter into negotiations to acquire a whiskey company owned by a Chinese family that has strick and antiquated beliefs about women’s role in business.

This story is just so much fun and I have to say Sutanto was the perfect author to pick for this retelling. Every character is so well drawn, so vibrant. I loved what she did with Mushu. (If this gets made into a movie I cannot imagine anyone other than Aquafina for the role.) Sutanto nails the cultural gender roles often displayed in traditional Chinese families. (Loved all the Aunties.) It totally rang true to me based on the interactions I’ve witnessed among the families of my Chinese friends. (Especially those that have grandparents that grew up in China) This story has so much humor and heart. The love Mulan has for her father shines through and it’s so touching. If you are a Mulan fan you’ll love this story. Heck, even if you know nothing about Mulan and are just a fan of romcoms, you’ll love this story. Can’t recommend this one enough. I’d like to thank Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Worth Fighting For.

Having watched Mulan countless times, I knew what to expect: Mulan trying to help her family by impersonating her father. But the book exceeded my expectations and was so much more than that. The romance between Mulan and Shang was so well written, the banter between them was so amazing, it literally had me kicking my feet. While this is a modern spin on the movie you can definitely feel the essence of the movie and the message of the troubles women have working in male dominated industries. This book was so amazing and I can't wait to read more books from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publishing date: June 3, 2025

I throughly enjoyed this modern day retelling of Mulan. I laughed out loud so many times. Mushu makes the whole book, she is my favorite! Shang is just….swoon worthy! Really great addition to the series!!!

Worth Fighting For is a modern spin on the story of Mulan.  Instead of battlefields and gender swapping, think boardrooms and assumed identity.  Rather than a scrappy dragon and an evil villain, picture a sassy best friend/cousin and the patriarchy.  Jesse Q Sutanto takes the best parts of Disney's Mulan: the fight for women's rights, the banter, and the slow-burn romance between Mulan and Shang.  While so many elements are different in this modern retelling, Sutanto captures much of the magic and strength in Mulan's story.
I enjoyed reading and identifying the throughlines of the original Mulan while also appreciating the different and clever new elements. However, I felt like this Mulan felt emotionally immature. Rather than reading like a late-20s financial powerhouse, Mulan displayed many characteristics of a teenager or college student with a massive crush. The romance felt rushed in many ways, and the inner dialogue felt unbelievable.  I think this could easily be remedied by further pacing out the growing friendship with Shang.  The chemistry is there, but many of their interactions and dialogue felt forced, cheesy, and immature.  All of this aside, I loved the storyline of Mulan trying to prove herself and fight for her father's wishes.  Worth Fighting For is a well-told story in the Meant to Be series.

This is book five in the “Meant to be “ series. This remake of Mulan is perfection. I highly recommend this next edition in this series.

This book… this book this book this BOOK!!! Shang was always my biggest Disney prince crush and Jesse did him so well in this retelling. What a stud! This was such a great retelling. I loved it! The essence of the movie characters translated into this retelling wonderfully while still different enough as a reimagination of the movie.

This was my first Jesse Q Stanton book and definitely won’t be my last. Great banter and humor among most of the chracters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I own the first four books of this series, but haven't read them yet... Thankfully, they're all standalones so I could fully enjoy this one without the fear of spoilers.

And enjoy it I did! This book was so good!

I wasn't sure how the story of Mulan was going to translate into a romance since in the Disney movie she pretends to be a man. And while she does technically pretend to be a man in the book, she does it as a woman. The story was brilliantly written. Shang's character was perfect. His personality & traits were well-rounded out with attention to detail. I felt like I knew him. And I loved him!

Who's Mulan without her sidekick Mushu? While she was the comedic relief, she was also full of depth. I absolutely loved her character. Beautiful & funny & smart. So delightful. I imagined her as Awkwafina whenever she was there.

There were several nods to the movie, a few quotes here & there that brought me back to the animation. I loved that. I never imagined Mushu as a dragon though!

This book was amazing. Almost perfect but not entirely as I had a little ick moment. But not enough to take away from all the great scenes & dialogue.

I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy. I am so grateful.

P.S. I caught myself singing A Girl Worth Fighting For more times than I can count while reading this book! I might just have to watch the movie now.

Ah this was incredible! Yes, I was initally thrown off by Mushu and Mulan and Shang being the names of our main characters--but it works! One aspect I especially appreciated was that Mulan did not dress up as a man. She borrowed her father's name, but the book does not mock what some folks presentation of embracing their gender looks like, which enables the reader to focus on the romance and the whiskey business plot. Highly recommend for fans of the Meant to Be series or romances like Abby Jimenez and Helen Hoang. Also, there's a little homage to Vera Wong's tea shop--well done!