Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you love Pride & Prejudice, definitely check this out! It's a retelling of the classic Jane Austen novel, set in Chinatown in Manhattan in the early 2000s. Instead of our main family's matriarch looking to find husbands for her daughters, the premise here is based off of Darcy and company being investors from Hong Kong who are interested in the renovation of a recreation center in Elizabeth's community in New York.

I loved the writing style - it was very clever and fun and what I would expect the original to read like if it was written with modern language. The characters had all the true characteristics of the original characters, especially the sisters and mother. I loved falling in love with Elizabeth and Darcy's love story all over again. It was very well developed and paid great respect to the characters they're based on. It was also a lot of fun to watch the story progress and see how classic scenes from the novel were redone here.

Overall, I think anyone who loves the Pride & Prejudice novel (or movie) would find a lot of fun in this book; and anyone who hasn't read the classic, but likes a good slow burn romance with witty love interests who are constantly challenging and bantering with each would enjoy it as well. It was a great time!

Can there ever be too many Pride and Prejudice retellings? Of course not! Chau swaps regency England for contemporary (late ‘90s/early 2000s) Chinatown in New York City. Good Fortune tracks the source material closely but brings with it a cultural flair that I particularly enjoyed. There are two particular scenes that immediately resonated with me–fighting for the bill and backhanded compliments.

Elizabeth and Darcy stay true to character, but Elizabeth is more–more passionate, more willing to speak her mind. It's fitting within this new setting as Brendan and Darcy purchase a community center, which will have ramifications for the neighborhood Elizabeth dearly loves. The book also highlights well how class divisions operate similarly no matter the time and place.

You do not need to have read Pride and Prejudice to enjoy the book. If you have, it just makes Good Fortune an even better read.

Overall, 4 stars. However, I had to make it to the back half of the book to really enjoy this. The first half was kind of cringe, and that’s coming from a Chinese American girl who lived in a small apartment with her parents and sister and whose parents worked for others as well. But, once we got to the back half, things picked up and LB wasn’t nearly as judgemental. Spoiler or warning though, this isn’t about love. This is all about jobs and I liked it all the more for it. That said, you still get your happily ever after. But jobs are the real importance here.

No disrespect to any authors out there, but can we stop saying any story with a mom/daughter/boyfriend is a retelling of Pride & Prejudice? Please. Just call it romance or even women's literature.
Ok, Good Fortune is a good book. Told at a decent page turning pace, Good Fortune brings our attention to gentrification in Chinatown. Gone will be all the little shops placing their wares with everything from rugs to fish to necklaces just out by the sidewalk. It will look splendid--just like uptown and downtown--but it definitely won't look like the original New York City's Chinatown. Knowing Mr. Darcy wants to change things up has Elizabeth torn between what she knows being stuck in the past and knowing if her community is to survive they need to look to the future.
Bonus points for Mom being a real estate guru and not a stereotyped Asian housewife playing second fiddle to the family patriarch.

Not a fan of this. Pretty rough to read. Nothing to relate to or sympathize with. Seemed rushed and unfinished.

I've read A LOT of P&P retellings so I think I know a thing or two about them. Although I can't say why this one didn't work as well for me as others -- it was thoughtful, true to the characters and well written. However, Elizabeth was almost a bit too cynical for me? I don't think I've had that problem before and I can't even say it's out of canon but it taints my review a bit. I still recommend this book and think a lot of people will love it.

Good Fortune comes out next week on July 11, 2023 and you can purchase HERE.

On Sunday mornings, the religious went to temple and everyone else went to yum cha (or, if you prefer, dim sum). It was a weekly ritual and a gathering, a chance to eat their hearts out and gossip. More than that, it was their version of Marquee--a place to see and be seen. Anyone with ties in the neighborhood ended up in the crowded restaurant lobbies eventually, or found their way in the sights of an aunty who did.

Set within the frame of a Jane Austen novel.m except it occurs in New York City and not on the English moors. Also it has all Asian American characters who have Jane Austen names.
The main focus is between Darcy and Lizzie, surrounded by her flock of four sisters and hovering parents.
I love the rich descriptions Chau provided of the camaraderie and conflicts in the family and also the neighborhood.
I loved how Lizzie took Darcy down several pegs and gave him what what for since he needed it.

“Good Fortune” is a Pride and Prejudice retelling set in New York in which Darcy is a wealthy Hong Kong elitist and Elizabeth’s boisterous family runs a Chinese restaurant. I was hoping for a little more of a reimagining of the story but this never strayed from the original plot, even paying homage to familiar scraps of dialogue and using the same names as the original.

Despite its predictability this grew on me as it went along. It was more Pride and Prejudice meets Two Weeks Notice as Elizabeth finds herself in the orbit of one of the irritating developers of her beloved rec center. This was also like a love letter to New York, with vivid scenes of the city, the cultural life of generations of Chinese Americans, class disparity and gentrification. That part set it apart and made it different than the original.

I liked the chemistry between sassy, principled Elizabeth and shy, snobby Darcy, and the ways the story was modernized to fit the early 2000s. It wasn’t so much about marriage prospects as it was about careers, ethics, family and class.

All in all an entertaining, bright read, if predictable.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This retelling of Pride and Prejudice had me worried…I mean how many more retellings do we need? Well…I was wrong, we needed this one! Good Fortune was advertised as “whip smart” and it really was whip smart, full of great banter, the retelling we all love and culturally unique elements that made this really shine.

Asian Pride and Prejudice. I love every single minute.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

2.5 stars rounded up.

This book was a reimagining of Pride and Prejudice but in modern times and Asian twist. Elizabeth Chen's family is your stereotypical, American dream, immigrant story of parents who are working hard to keep their family afloat, while their millennial daughters (four of them, to be exact) try to find exactly the right career.

The story, to me, felt disjointed and hard to follow. Elizabeth is definitely the main character of the story, being the tireless defender of the dilapidated Chinatown community center against the rich developers who want to make it into a luxury property. However, her character was unlikeable and storyline jumped around so much. She had inner turmoil and two love interests, being entirely predictable of which one she would choose. Every sister's storyline in the book felt unfinished and by the end it felt like everything was tied up in a quick bow for a happy ending on all fronts. They made fun of her mother so often, it got very irritating and for me, made it hard to root for anyone at all. It was a struggle to finish this one and unfortunately, the book wasn't quite it for me.

A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in Chinatown. Elizabeth Chen is the main character here, the daughter of a realtor. She meets the arrogant Darcy when he and his business partner buy the beloved community center.

I like the premise and idea of this one, but my main problem is that I think Chau tried to emulate Austen's writing too much. Instead of taking the story line and writing in her own style, it felt like she tried to adapt the writing style too, which didn't really work for me.

While Good Fortune is a fun retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, it is constrained by its faithfulness to the source material. I enjoyed the modern twists and contexts that Chau inserted, but couldn't get past the resolution between the couple. I shouldn't be surprised, because Elizabeth changes her mind about Darcy in P&P because he turns out to be a benevolent lord - but I wish there was less validation of a developer in Good Fortune!! But that's my own personal preference showing.

I was never a big Jane Austen fan, mostly because of the frilly language and over the top story lines - honestly I think I just couldn’t relate to 1800’s romance… but “Good Fortune” -this- I could relate to and it was highly enjoyable. So what if it’s a “retelling” of Pride and Prejudice. That’s not what sold me, it was the storyline itself. The plot line of rescuing the derelict community center and falling in love (maybe?) along the way. Very enjoyable read, highly recommend! Austen or non-Austen fan alike will enjoy (coming from a non-Austen fan!). Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. This opinion is my own.

🦇 Good Fortune Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

❝ But meeting him now felt like meeting him for the first time, glimpsing a new side of the person she want once imagined she knew. It unsettled her, how little she could trust that her impression of him would stay true to the versions she met later. ❞

❓ #QOTD What's your favorite Austen adaptation?❓

🦇 Elizabeth "LB" Chen's mother is all too excited when she sells the neighborhood's beloved yet derelict community center to two Chinese men from Hong Kong, but LB isn't convinced these investors have the community's best interests at heart. With stubborn albeit good intentions, she fights for the community, too often butting heads with uptight, arrogant Darcy Wong in the process. The two are forced to spend time together, each venturing into the other's world longer than they're comfortable with. Can they see from one another's perspective, or will pride and prejudice get in the way?

💜 It's a truth universally acknowledged that many book lovers adore a good retelling—emphasis on "good." There are many that fail to hit the mark, neglecting the qualities that led readers to fall in love with the original story in the first place.

🧧Good Fortune hits every mark...and then some.

💜 The first 25 pages feature language so unique and enthralling that, for a moment, you'll forget this was a retelling in the first place. The writing is full of sass and quick wit without compromising the charm or formality of Austen's original works. Modernized, the language is moving, thought-provoking, and refreshing. Once it ensnares you, you'll find the sun has long set—or perhaps, just beginning to rise—as the story makes you forget all sense of time. Despite the familiar characters and plot, Chau does stunning work of making the story her own. The smallest of details—like LB's photography, the issue of gentrification, and Darcy's community outreach—to foundational changes—like setting the story in New York's Chinatown and making the sisters children of Chinese immigrants—all play a part in the story's progression. Chau never abandons the themes that make Pride and Prejudice such a monumental story, instead using them to bring attention to the same problems that still exist today: cultural identity, class divides, the burdens and responsibilities of family. Culture is infused in every page, granting this story a unique authenticity that other retellings lack. Infusing this story with the Chinese-American children-of-immigrants perspective only makes the classical class divide AND family values all the more poignant.

🦇 I think most readers will feel conflicted about the minor adjustments made to some of the supporting characters (namely, Jade and Lydia, who are a little more frustrating than usual). However, the frustrations both cause give LB the push she needs to adjust her perspective. Lydia's scandal and brattish behavior made me set my Kindle aside more than once, but I've never been a fan of Lydia Bennet.

🦇 Though I don't think the book needs to be longer, I do wish we got a little more of LB and Darcy together at the end. However, the original Pride and Prejudice story, along with most retellings, stop at the point they're together, so I understand it. The playful, rather than abrasive version of their banter is so entertaining that it only left me starved for more.

🦇 Recommended for fans of the original Pride and Prejudice, readers eager for diverse stories, and lovers of Sonali Dev's (@sonali.dev) The Rajes series (another great retelling you NEED to read if you haven't already). Book bats, you've gotta grab this one!

✨ The Vibes ✨
㊗️ Debut Novel
🎩 Contemporary Pride and Prejudice
🏮 Enemies to Lovers
🥠 Class Consciousness
🥟 Family is Everything
👠 Stubborn Integrity

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. @harperviabooks @harpercollins #GoodFortune #CKChau

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book and loved the overall premise of it. Very interesting and entertaining.

Elizabeth Chen and her sisters Jane, Lydia, Mary, and Kitty live in New York City's Chinatown. Their mother is a real estate agent and their father runs a restaurant. Elizabeth's mother sells their beloved community center to a company who plans to change a lot about it. The two investors are Brendan Lee (the equivalent of Mr. Bingley) and Darcy Wong (the Darcy character). What ensues is very similar to the novel "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen but with modern twists. Jane falls in love with Brendan Lee. His sister and Darcy Wong try to keep him away from her. Elizabeth and Darcy have sparks, but Darcy's prejudice and Elizabeth's pride get in the way. In the background is the fear that the buyers will change the community center so much it will no longer work for the people in the neighborhood. Mr. Collins is part of the book and is not someone there to inherit their father's wealth, but instead works for Catherine de Bourgh and offers Elizabeth (who is unemployed) a job. She does not want to take it, but her friend Charlotte does. Eventually, Elizabeth goes to visit Charlotte. There she meets Catherine De Bourgh, her daughter, Darcy's sister, etc. The pride and prejudice eventually get overthrown and Elizabeth and Darcy fall in love. There are several modernizations, but the basic story line is still there and sometimes gets in the way.

I love Jane Austen, but didn't feel like this kept the spirit while becoming something new. As a former English major, I may be too picky. I give the book 3 of 5 stars,

Since there are so many Pride and Prejudice retellings out there at this point, Good Fortune was a refreshingly fresh take on it. The way Chau captured the essence of all the classic characters and their dynamics and worked in all the major plot points of the original Austen version but with a story involving Asian-Americans in early 2000's NYC truly was impressive. Chau clearly cared about staying faithful to the original story, and I think that elevated this retelling to a higher level than I would place most other "modern" P&P retellings. And while I appreciated the congruence of this version with the original, and I think this is one of those stories that will never get old to me, I think the writing style may not have worked for me.

Let's be honest here, while P&P is a "classic," it's also one of the original HEA romances. The writing style used here, though, seemed more firmly in the lit-fic camp. I mean, I get it, if you're a writer of "literature" (said in a posh accent, of course), it might be hard to shift gears and write to a rom-com audience. We are who we are. But P&P will always need a lighter touch because the story is a HEA romance down to its bones. I think changing the tone and style would have helped to cut back on a lot of unnecessary descriptions, summaries, and reiterations, and that would have addressed one of the other issues I had with the book: its length. The good thing about the evolution of language since Austen's time is that we can get away with saying the same crap but with fewer words...not so much with this book.

In summary, the story was adapted masterfully, but in a style that didn't really let it shine as much as it could have.

This book instantly had me at “Pride and Prejudice retelling”, my all time favorite book. Personally, I think I might despise this Jade more than the original Mrs. Bennett - Lydia too.

It was such a fun version of the original, taking places in early 2000’s NYC, dripping with so much nostalgia and modernization, but the same tale nonetheless. If you have read the original, then you knew what to expect, but the retelling still made every page exciting and fresh.

I’m glad I choose to read this one as one of my AAPI picks for May. Thanks to NetGalley and the author for letting me read this ARC!

When Elizabeth Chen finds out that her relator mother sold a beloved community center to wealthy outsider Darcy Wong, she fears that his influence will gentrify the neighborhood. Fans of Jane Austen will recognize the bones of this classic storyline, but the vibrancy, wit, and lively characters give it a fresh feel. Good Fortune is a perfectly charming retelling of Pride and Prejudice, complete with a swoon-worthy closing act.