Didn't find this particularly engaging - no character was particularly well fleshed out, which I think is the problem with retelling a story that already has (excellently) established characters.

Received a free copy on Netgalley.

Good Fortune was a really lovely read, a modern re-telling of Pride and Prejudice. I loved the Chinatown locale, and the themes of love, family, identity, and culture. It was great fun and well-written.

Good Fortune is a fun, contemporary spin on Pride and Prejudice set in NYC (Chinatown) and is full of snappy dialogue and charm. The story explores gentrification, socioeconomic status, family, community, cultural identity, love, ambition, and more.

For readers already acquainted with Pride and Prejudice (in book/movie/mini-series format), there are still some surprises in store with the way C.K. Chau tells this modern version.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this, and found the second half more propulsive and compelling as Elizabeth “LB” Chen considers and reconsiders whether her impressions of Darcy may not have been wholly accurate. Recommended to anyone looking for a new take on one of literature’s best romances.

Thank you to HarperVia and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Good Fortune by C.K. Chau was a great debut novel.

This book was so much fun.
A beautifully told redefined Pride and Prejudice, set in contemporary Chinatown, exploring real life issues of class divides, family ties, cultural identity, and the joy and discouragements that come with falling in love.
I truly enjoyed everything this story had to offer.
The writing was amazing. The characters are well developed. The story was just charming.
After devouring this authors debut I will definitely pick up her next book in the future.

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

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I read four or five chapters before realizing that the book is roughly based on Pride and Prejudice. I realized it once Elizabeth meets the proud Darcy at a wedding. I must confess that turned me off from reading this romance. I don't mind a romance based on a classic, but to have the same names of the main characters and the book's characters are Chinese? I would have been fine with the book had the characters had other names than those of Pride and Prejudice. The author seems to be pushing the similarities of plot and characters too hard.

Good Fortune by C.K. Chau is a great contemporary fiction that is full of family, culture, community, and helps define what it means to be true to one’s own beliefs.

I really enjoyed this immersion into a community and families richly portrayed within this book that takes place in Chinatown. Reading about the family dynamics, the cultural and societal differences (and also the similarities), and how that is incorporated into everyday situations was an interesting aspect for someone that know very little about this community.

I enjoyed the threads of romance, family, preconceived assumptions, trust, faith, sense of self and belonging, and what it means to stand up for what one believes in and for what one feels that truly matters that were all present in this book.

Elizabeth and Darcy were great characters (hello, Pride & Prejudice anyone?) and I enjoyed reading their interactions, and the evolution of their relationship throughout the book. A nice read.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Harper Via for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 7/11/23.