This is a story of the Li and Hua families. It is loosely a modern day telling of the legend of Mulan. The beginning of the book was slow with character development, but after about the 40% mark, I really enjoyed the book. The story is funning and engaging with Chinese cowboys and ranchers.
It does include some closed door intimacy, which wasn't really necessary for the book. If it was removed, this book could be marketed to a much broader audience. Without, the book is very clean with no language.




I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In this retelling of Mulan, when her father has a heart attack right before an important meeting for the acquisition of a liquor company, Mulan decides to impersonate him in order to impress the misogynistic board.

I have really enjoyed all of the Meant To Be novels I've read so far, and this was not an exception. I was curious how they were going to adapt this story without straying too much from the original and think it was well done.

I had secondhand embarrassment for Mulan when Mushu was overexaggerating her ranching capabilities. I also am loving the trend lately of only one tent. I was in love with Auntie Jiayi - she was a complete badass.

This overall is perfect for those who love Disney, stories of female empowerment, and closed door romance. I'd give it 4.25 stars.

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue & NetGalley for this ARC. All views and opinions are my own

Thanks to Hyperion Avenue and Net Galley for the ARC.
This book was a great addition to the meant to be series! I found the storyline a bit slow at times, but was certainly rooting for Mulan by the end. I really loved some of the supporting characters like Mushu and Auntie Jaiyi - they made the book shine

This was a wonderful book! I loved the movie Mulan and I loved this new retelling of the story. It was fresh and interesting. I had a really hard time putting it down like all of the other books in the Meant To Be Series. Also, I have read quite a few books by Jesse Q Sutanto and have really enjoyed them all, even though they have all been very different.

This was such a fun play on of Mulan! I love the modernized take, Mushu being Mulans human cousin, and the banter between Mulan and Shang.

I love the Meant to Be series, and I love [author:Jesse Q. Sutanto|19278992] so naturally I jumped on the chance to read the advanced readers copy of Worth Fighting For, a modern retelling of Mulan. It was everything I hoped for and more. This may be my very favorite of the series so far.

Mulan is a finance bro- no really- with everything that working in Private Equity implies. She graduated from Princeton with a 3.9, and works a tremendous amount of overtime at her father's finance firm. She is always thinking that people are judging her for nepotism, so she makes up for this by working harder and longer than anyone else. No war in this retelling, and it does take place in America, San Francisco to be specific.

When her father has a massive heart attack, she keeps the deal with a fancy whiskey company alive by stepping into his role. There she meets Shang, who is not so much her commanding officer but a part of the deal. Mushu is Mulan's assistant- not a dragon but a cousin who went to Rutgers while Mulan was at Princeton. Mushu and Mulan have the strong relationship you would expect of a character in the sidekick role. I loved the ending and how much of Chinese-American immigrant culture the author incorporated as a part of the story. It made me think of my own ancestors and how many of them chose to leave their homeland and start a new life in America. Different generations are a part of the conversations here and while they don't save China so much as a whiskey brand, if you had never seen, or really heard of Mulan - this story is great stand alone without some of the hokey throwbacks you sometimes see in other "modern retellings."

Thanks to Netgalley and Hyperion for the ARC. Book to be published June 3, 2025.

The newest installement of Disney’s ‘Meant to Be’ series. The story of Mulan, but set in current time.
I really enjoyed this book!! The author does an amazing job taking the story of Mulan, but putting her own twist on it. Yes, it was obvious that it was a Mulan retelling, but it wasn’t the entire story which was nice. There were aspects that were in the movie, and aspects that weren’t. It was really well done, and definitely deserving of joining the other amazing books in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion for sending me an eARC of this book.

I absolutely loved this book! Jesse Q. Sutanto has once again delivered a fantastic story that kept me hooked from beginning to end. As a fan of her other works, I was eagerly anticipating this Mulan inspired retelling and it did not disappoint. The characters were well-developed and I felt a genuine connection to Mulan and even Mushu, who brought some much-needed comic relief. I found myself laughing out loud at their antics and rooting for them every step of the way. Overall, a must-read for fans of the original Mulan story or anyone looking for a fun and engaging read.

I’m a fan of the Meant To Be series, where romance writers reimagine classic Disney princess stories. Jesse Q. Sutanto, a renowned romance writer, has penned a Mulan story that exceeded my expectations.

THIS WAS SO CUTE. Mulan was an absolute girl boss.

i love how the romance wasn't the main thing the author focused on, but rather Mulan and Shang's character development. LOVE IT DEFINITELY RECOMMEND IT!

This book was a modern retelling of Mulan. I enjoyed the way that it followed the original story line in a way that was enjoyable and relevant. It wasn’t too literal like some of the previous stories. It was one of my favorites from this series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

actual rating: 1.5. the phrase “finance bro” was used 12 times in five chapters. that is twelve times too many. we get it, you are a woman in finance. please stop talking about it. reading this book felt like watching a hallmark movie. maybe that was what the author was going for. i don’t know. i didn’t like the book. the only saving graces were Shang and Mushu, one of the top disney movie men and top disney movie sidekick. shout out to them fr 🔥

I have read almost all the other books in this series and loved Sutanto's "Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers" so I was happy to see her name connected to the next book in this collection. Unfortunately, this one didn't land for me like the others. Maybe it's because I'm not as attached to the Mulan movie but I found the book very repetitive. It seemed like we were really hammered with the same points again in an unsubtle and specifically worded manner. Hey, I hate the patriarchy too but could we fight against it with some new and interesting phrasing?

The side characters were fun and added to the storyline, I would read a whole book about Mushu entering the event planning space and I enjoyed the easter eggs mentioning the tea at Vera's was better, and some lines I recognized from the movie but overall the relationship between the main characters seemed both forced and rushed and I never really connected with the central problem of the book.

Synopsis: A modern day retelling of Mulan in which she pretends to be her sick father in order to help make a business acquisition.
Thoughts: Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies so I was so excited to read this! It was a nice story, but kind of boring to be honest. Nothing memorable but not bad either. Sorry!
Thank you NetGalley for this arc and look for it on shelves next summer!

Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto is an absolute gem! This modern Mulan retelling had me hooked from the start. Mulan's fierce determination to prove herself in a male-dominated industry was both inspiring and relatable. And Shang? Total heartthrob! Their chemistry sizzled on every page, making me root for them wholeheartedly.

The witty banter and clever nods to the original tale added so much charm. Mushu as Mulan's sassy cousin? Brilliant! I laughed, I swooned, and I couldn't put it down. If you're into empowering romances with a dash of nostalgia, this book is a must-read. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a great book! I really enjoyed this book. I couldn’t put it reading . The author has such a good writing style. This was a first for me by this author but will not be my last! I enjoyed the characters. They had good chemistry. I have loved every book in this series!! My favorites!!

This book was so cute. I had high hopes after I adored Tangled Up With You. I really liked the premise (although it was a bit of a stretch). The interactions between Milan and Shang were so cute, I was literally licking my feet and squealing. Every time they were on the page i just wanted more. This book just had the most wholesome feeling and I had a hard time putting it down. I also really loved the message at the end, I thought it was really impactful. Having come from an immigrant family, I think it really tied together the experience together nicely.

However, to call it a Mulan retelling seems like a stretch. Really the only similarities are the fact the characters have the same names from the movies. The plot is not really giving Mulan, it’s more giving a western romance. When I first read the concept I was wondering how they heck they were going to tie it into the Mulan story. Nothing was really reminiscent of the original, if you didn’t tell me this was supposed to be Milan, I would have never known. Another problem is the characterization. That is not Mulan and Shang, I feel as they they have switched personalities. If anything Shang is emasculating Mulan and showing the faults in her attitude. And somehow Shang is a perfect man, like I don’t get it. He’s so carefree and it’s so strange to picture him juxtaposed with his animated counterpart. I think a part of it has to do with the fact his father isn’t a part of the story, which sort of changes his personality and dynamic. And all the Gen-Z references are getting me. Why is Mulan getting all of her information on TikTok. The thing I loved about the original is how hard she worked to improve. She literally went from the worst soldier, to the best by putting in the work. Instead of doing that she just watched TikTok videos. Also, nobody looked up her father and found that Zhou is in fact MARRIED AND HAS A DAUGHTER. Because if TikTok is a thing in this then so is Google. It’s a shame because I really do like this book, I think it’s a cute premise and it’s interesting, it’s just not Mulan.

If you want a cute lighthearted romance book I absolutely recommend this, it was great. But, don’t put too much emphasis on the Mulan retelling.

I loved Jesse Q Soutanto’s last two books (I read both in the last couple of months) so I was so excited to preview her newest, Worth Fighting For.

Unlike Sutanto’s last book, You Could Never Be Me (a straight up-thriller) this latest work has a lot of romance thrown into the mix. Part of Disney’s Meant to Be Series, this is the story of Mulan, who is currently the one of the only females working in her father’s firm. Mulan finds that, more often than not, she has to change her personality to get along with the men in the office, often reminding them of her place in leadership.

Mulan’s father puts her on the acquisition of Wutai Gold, family owned whiskey brand that markets specifically to men. After her father has a heart attack, Mulan goes undercover, using her father’s name to act as the head of the company. She meets with the family that owns Wulan Gold including their attractive son Shang. In the course of trying to convince them a woman can be the right fit to own their brand, Mulan gets herself invited to the family’s ranch to show them just how manly, and how strong of a leader she can be. Will she be able to prove herself to the family, and will sparks fly between her and the dashing Shang?

I am not generally a romance book reader, but this sweet story hooked me in. I didn’t know the story of Mulan before this, though I did do some brief internet research about the ancient Chinese story before I began. Even without prior knowledge, the story was interesting and I enjoyed the modern Bay Area location (set in the same universe as one of Sutano’s protagonists, Vera Wong who is mentioned here in delightful throwaway line). At times I felt the next step in the plot was a little obvious, but that did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for the book. A quick, joy-filled read, Worth Fighting For is filled with layered, well defined characters that will keep a smile on your lips through the duration.

Kudos to Jesse Q. Sutanto for another home run. Four stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Amazing reimagining of the story Mulan. The author did a great job bringing the story into modern times. Mulan is a “finance bro” working for her dad’s investment firm. When he falls ill, she steps in on a big whiskey distillery account run by a family of misogynists. Mulan assumes her dad’s name so the family believes they’ve been communicating with her the whole time. She finds an ally (And sparks) with Shang, the non-misogynist CEO. This story touched on deeper issues such as masking, being immigrants/first gen, and familial expectations. The romance plot felt natural and had good tension. This was completely closed door (all spicy scenes were off pages and mostly inferred). If you’ve been following the Meant To Be series, or even not, pick this one up when it publishes!

Thank you Hyperion Avenue for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Worth Fighting For is one of my favorite books this year (2024)! Jesse Stanton did a phenomenal job of telling the story of Mulan — from the relatable struggle that women have, to the informative Chinese culture, to the blossoming romance between Shang and Mulan. I wish I could go back and live in the world that the author created in this book a million times over.