I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fun book, three best friends using a wedding as the ultimate hoax to complete their dreams. Extra fun if you have some knowledge with the Chinese language.

I really enjoyed this novel about three friends in China. Lulu is engaged to a man she doesn’t want to marry, Jane is saving up for plastic surgery because she hates the way she looks, and Rina wants to freeze her eggs so she doesn’t miss out on motherhood. They decide to steal the wedding gift money, a heist that will get each of them what they want most.

I thought this book might be more comedic, like the Aunties books by Jesse Q. Sutanto. And while similar, this book was not laugh-out-loud funny, and in fact really dealt with serious issues, like the pressure on young women in China to marry well and to be good wives and mothers. Shanghai seemed very different from the U.S.; while the underlying issues aren’t so different, the families and spouses exert much more control over women, even independent, educated women.

The three main characters begin the book feeling they are boxed into stereotypical roles. Lulu is pretty but from a poor family, so she’s expected to marry a wealthy man and support her relatives. Jane is expected to be the dutiful wife and be grateful she has a husband. Rina is a career woman who is a slave to her job. They all want more than that. Planning this heist allows them to step out of their comfort zones and I appreciated how clever and devious all of them could be at times. Where Sutanto’s books lean towards silliness, this book will remind you more of those heist movies where many people have a role to play and everything has to be planned to the minute (and of course there are lots of roadblocks along the way).

What I appreciated most about this book was the character development of the three main characters, and the way they struggle in their friendships and relationships. Each has serious issues they are dealing with, in many cases stemming from family abuses or losses. The men in their lives are also multi-dimensional, each dealing with their own issues, and also struggling with gender-based pressures to be in control and support their families. Often with books like this, it’s hard to keep track of the different narrators, but in this book that was never a problem because the characters are so different.

For these three friends, planning the heist should bring them closer together. But what happens when their interests conflict? That, for me, was the most interesting part of the story. Because as time goes on, it’s less and less about the money. This book starts a bit slow and develops thoughtfully as the book goes on, which is something I always like.

Wan is a graduate student and a Bay area native. This is Wan’s first novel and I look forward to reading more from her.

Note: I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley and publisher Graydon House. This book published March 5, 2024.

women of good fortune is like. well it's like if joy ride was a heist and made in china so needless to say its oodles and oodles of fun and sadness and it's great!

women of good fortune centers three women in a friend group, (lulu- the epitome of filial piety and buckles under the pressure of providing for her family, and who's currently getting married to a rich, wealthy man who she maybe sort of likes, rina- the no-nonsense businesswoman who's tired of getting passed over for promotions that not only is she is overqualified for but promotions she needs if she wants to win the war against her biological clock, and jane- the sharp-tongued housewife in seemingly desperate need to a way to look pretty to succeed in life) in their journey through self-discovery set against a heist that is set to secure them for life.

this book was incredible from start to finish--the heist was fun but the self-discovery was where it truly hit. i loved each woman so much, their struggles were so real and fleshed out and you coudn't help to love them in all their flaws. i feel like every romance was done incredibly well and it's just like. you can't help but have fun! and also feel sad sometimes, but mostly fun! that's the whole point of the novel and i loved it! so yeah <3

thank you to harlequin trade publishing and netgalley for the arc!

This is an enjoyable story that revolves around planning and pulling off a heist but is really about three women struggling with China's intense cultural expectations for women. The heist is their way of covertly pushing back against the stifling expectations: being a submissive wife, yet working to the point of exhaustion to secure a coveted professional role, honoring one's parents but still dreaming of a different future. The author does a nice job of balancing the gritty reality of what it means to be a modern woman in China with elements of humor and romance.
The interactions between the women and their love interests are especially appealing, and I appreciated how each character demonstrated tremendous growth from the beginning of the novel to the end.
The subtle romance, clever plot twist, and satisfying conclusion made for a delightful reading experience. Highly recommend!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

The female friendship shown in this book was so heart felt and real! The ups and downs that are portrayed are life like and really give the characters the depth that some novels are missing. As an American it was eye opening to see how China views marriage and to see how family dynamics work in the Chinese culture. Lulu has a family that depends on her, but her dad is the shining star to her. Jane and her mother’s relationship shows the beauty standards of China. Rina’s story brings light to women’s role in the workplace and how unfair it is. I love how Sophie Wan wove all three stories into one and there was a lesson for each woman that we as readers can take away from reading Women of Good Fortune, and that there was a bigger picture takeaway from all of the ladies stories being woven together. I would recommend this book to anyone who will listen!

Sophie Wan's debut novel - Women of Good Fortune - is newly released.
The cover and description of the book caught my eye - but it was the characters that kept me turning pages.

Shanghai, China is the setting. Rian, Lulu and Jane are the best of friends. They get together regularly to commiserate about their lives. Customs, societal expectations, family pressure, women's hopes versus what will happen and more. But what if...

Oh, I quite liked all three of the women. They're three very different personalities. Each of them is given a voice with their own chapters and we come to know them better. Wan has does a great job creating the women.

Now...what about that 'what if'. I'm just going to put this out there - heist! I am a sucker for a good heist. I'll leave you to discover the details of this one.

As the book progresses, the outlooks of the three change. And its not quite what the women expected. Me either. But it's absolutely a perfect ending.

What a great debut novel! I would happily pick up Wan's next title!

As a woman of Asian descent, I’m all too familiar with how unmarried women over 27 are viewed and treated, especially in Asian countries. What I loved about Women of Good Fortune was how the heart of the book is the stories of these women, whom the Chinese culture would consider “leftover women.” We don’t often get stories about Asian women where the end goal wasn’t marriage or romance but instead was about fighting against societal pressure and arbitrary “timelines,” and we can use more…

Full review can be found in attached link

This book was so fun and I devoured it. Basically, three besties plan an elaborate wedding heist with the hope that they will find happiness. Set in current-day Shanghai, the story is told from various perspectives and does a great job of exploring wedding culture in China. I felt that while the women all had very different backgrounds they were still all very strong and determined women.

A fun read that kept me engaged throughout.

I thought this novel was fun and there were even a few surprises! It's a classic caper story, but also about relationships and knowing what you want. Honest review 3.5 but giving 4 stars because I want others to read it. Also note that I read part (thank you Netgalley for an ARC) and I listened to part (thank you Libro.FM for an ALC).

It was a little too similar to Ocean's 8 for me. I did not care for the descriptions of the main female characters or the pacing of the book. Some spots the story was very fast paced and in others it was very slow. I was never given a chance to get to know each of the 3 main characters and their backgrounds. There was a lot of just telling me things happened or plopping me in different scenarios without context of how we arrived at that point.

This was such a fun book - I absolutely enjoyed it. I loved seeing the friendship between Jane, Rina and Lulu, and I felt like there was so much action. I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to find out what happened next so badly. Heads up, this is definitely women's fiction not romance, but if you're looking for heist action and well developed characters, definitely check out this book!

Sophie Wan has a great writing style for this type of book, I enjoyed that we were following a Shanghai wedding. It worked with the concept and I was enjoying how well the characters were written. It had a strong overall feel and was cleverly written.

First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and Graydon House for this arc. My opinions are my own.

Set in Shanghai, Lulu is getting ready to get married to a rich man whom she doesn’t love for her family's sake. Her best friends, Rina and Jane, are struggling with their own circumstances. Rina is a career-driven woman who is constantly looked over by her male counterparts. Jane is a housewife who is unhappy in her marriage and wants a divorce. All of their problems have a simple solution, money. When the three of them come up with a plan to steal the gift money from Lulu’s wedding, they are thrown into a world of lies, deceit, and security cameras. However, what they find from the heist may not be what they really wanted after all.

I was so excited to get this arc since it had one of my favorite things, female friendship. Nothing makes me happier than seeing women supporting each other. Although this technically had it, I didn’t like their friendship very much. I had a love-hate relationship with the girls, especially Jane. They were so incredibly selfish, but they were also entertaining. They all had their own trauma to process through and unfortunately, this trauma put the idea of this heist in their heads. The three of them represent different sides of the societal norms in Chinese culture. All three of them are looking for different things in their lives and this book had good commentary on these issues. Although I understand the desperation of their actions, it still doesn’t justify the harm done to those around them. I liked that the men in their lives were overall good people. It added a lot to the conflict of the story. The romances in this were good too. I loved Vic and Rina so much. I also rooted for Jane and her husband by the end.

Overall, a good start to hopefully a long career for Sophie Wan!

3.5 stars

I was hoping for more Oceans Eleven and less Crazy Rich Asians. I love a good heist story, and I was looking forward to reading about three women performing one vengefully. But the details of the heist were sparse, and it was more of a serious look at Asian culture, the dangerous allure of money, and friendship among women. I also got sick of the wealth flaunting. I'm poor. I don't want to read about all this ostentatious wealth. The characters were mostly unlikeable - whining about not getting what they want, and not caring who they hurt on their path to get what they "deserve." There's some redemption toward the end, but I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending. Mostly meh for me.

Content considerations: lots of swearing, references to sex but nothing explicit

I received a complimentary ARC from Harlequin Trade Publishing and Graydon House via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

"Women of Good Fortune" by Sophie Wan presents an intriguing premise but fell short of expectations for me. While the concept of three women navigating Shanghai's societal pressures and financial desires is compelling, I struggled to fully connect with the characters and become immersed in their stories. Despite moments of tension, the plot felt disjointed, and pacing issues hindered my overall enjoyment of the book. While the exploration of themes such as money and societal expectations is commendable, the execution left something to be desired.

This book was incredible! This needs to be a movie and this cover?? 1000000/10 no notes. Impeccable writing, pacing and plot. Sophie Wan is here to stay!

I was pulled in by the premise, who doesn't love a good heist?

Overall, this was a fun and entertaining story following 3 friends that are all fed up with society in different ways. I liked getting to see their different perspectives on what they want in life and what they have been pressured into doing.

The pacing of the book felt off - some parts moved slowly and lost my focus.

I had to suspend belief to go along with their plan, but I really appreciated the twists and turns in the end.

For a book that checked all my boxes (rich people, heist, diverse settings) at first glance, this was remarkably boring. I'm sure it will be a big hit though.

Women of Good Fortune is a delightful story of female friendship, rich people behaving badly, and a heist, that fans of Dial A for Aunties or Crazy Rich Asians will love!

For totally different reasons, three best friends—Lulu, Jane, and Rina—are all fed up with the way they are treated as women in society in Shanghai. Jane has spent her life being told she is too ugly to amount to anything, and despite her education and new marriage, all she wants is the money for surgery to change her appearance once and for all. Rina was raised in California but moved back to Shanghai with her parents when they retired and now works her life away in a job that refuses to promote her as an unmarried woman of childbearing age. Lulu's family has always expected her to provide for them, and she lives a life of poverty in the big city to send money to support her parents and her good-for-nothing brother.

Their fates all change when Lulu is discovered by the wealthy son of a billionaire, who asks her to marry him and elevates her to the elite of society. More or less reluctantly, the three friends agree to a heist to steal the wedding gifts, which will give them all the money they need to achieve their dreams: plastic surgery for Jane, a trip to the States to freeze her eggs for Rina, and financial freedom from her family for Lulu. They proceed with their plans in the months leading up to the wedding and, in the process, come face to face with their truest desires and the insecurities that have pushed them to desperation.

Women of Good Fortune was a very fun read about female friendship, the treatment of women in Chinese culture, and self-discovery. Each character has a satisfying arc with growth, romance, and self-discovery. This is a very strong debut and I look forward to reading Sophie Wan's future books!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC! 3.5 stars.

A quick and engaging read! Lulu is getting married to a wealthy man, but she doesn't want the wedding to happen. Definitely reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians if the characters decided to sabotage the wedding and steal the gift money. Shanghai culture tells women that they only have a few short years to marry well and never work again, but Lulu isn't convinced. A fast, rom-com with great social commentary that sheds light on social class and women's roles in Shanghai, I'd recommend this for those who like easy-to-read romcoms, lavish weddings, Shanghai culture, and fun heists!