3.5 rounded up. Entertaining heist story about a group of friends who are tired of being mistreated in their lives. Each storyline was interesting to follow, but I enjoyed Jane’s the most. It was a steady buildup to the wedding heist, and there are some good twists and turns in the final act. I also appreciated the epilogue, but I wanted a bit more of an emotional punch for a high stakes heist that centered on friendship and marriage.

Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for the eARC.

Three friends who are very dissatisfied with their lives - and with the way women are treated (especially in Eastern culture).
Rina, the career-minded woman who watches time pass and is unable to achieve her desired position at work.
Jane, the housewife, tired of married life, dreams of divorcing her husband.
And Lulu, like her friends, knows that money is the answer to the independent life she so desires.
When Lulu receives a marriage proposal from none other than Shanghai’s most eligible bachelor, she and her friends decide on the perfect plan to achieve the independence they so desire.

A story about friendship, family expectations. and the most intimate desires.
3,5 stars

I thought this book sounded it like it had so much potential. I just felt like I couldn't relate to this one and I found the story a little boring.

I have a real soft spot for this book! Three best friends who all have different dreams plan to do a heist at a wedding and things go awry pretty quickly. Great premise and I thought the execution was fun, too, I really enjoyed all of the main characters (Lulu, Rina, and Jane), the partners, the mothers, and the stories about obligation, freedom, and friendship.

It seemed like the perfect plan….

In Shanghai, three young women want to create the lives they have always wanted to lead. Lulu is the youngest, from modest country beginnings, whose beauty and sweet nature has caught the attention of Harv, the son of one of the wealthiest families in the city. When Harv proposed, everyone (especially her own family) were so convinced that she should accept that she did….even though she doesn’t have any feelings for him. Jane, told her whole life that she was not pretty and therefore would never snag a husband, has recently married Zihao, a brilliant young man who most likely married her because she owned an apartment in the city. She spends her days trying to buy designer clothes and bags which she thinks will compensate for her plain looks, and thinks of a way to get a divorce. Rina grew up in the US, and is determined to climb the corporate ladder through sheer hard work and perseverance even though being a woman puts her at an extreme disadvantage in this culture; it is assumed that at some point she will have a baby and leave the company in the lurch. When the women first became friends, they called themselves the Leftovers, a term used for women who have aged out of the marriage market. Each of the friends needs a large sum of money in order to fulfill their dreams, and they decide to steal all of the money that will be given to Lulu and Harv on their wedding day and disappear. They plot and plan the perfect heist….but love and loyalty may be hard to leave behind.
Women of Good Fortune is a fun and at times poignant story of women’s friendship, the strictures of women’s lives in Chinese culture, and the many strains and demands put on children by their family.. In addition to Lulu, Jane and Rina, there is the wealthy fiancé who can never please his father, the soon-to-be mother-in-law who runs her son’s life and has every intention of ruling over her daughter-in-law-to-be, the Casanova best man who has his eye on independent Rina, Jane’s long suffering husband Zihao, a woman creating a reproduction fashion empire and a niece who can drive like a Hollywood stunt person. As the months go by and the wedding gets closer, each woman starts to reevaluate what what they have, what they want, and whom they will hurt if pursuit of their dreams. An over-the-top wedding sets the scene for the planned caper…with all their planning, what could possibly go wrong (hint: just about everything)? I enjoyed the quirky characters (well, except maybe Jane, I didn’t really like her too much) and the descriptions of Chinese customs and mores, and I rooted for each woman to find their happiness. Fans of authors like Kevin Kwan, Kirsten Chen, and Kyla Zhao will likely enjoy this easy-to-read tale that has a little bit of a Sex in the Ciry vibe. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin/Graydon House for allowing me early access to first time author Sophie Wan’s engaging novel.

Three best friends planning a heist?? What could possibly go wrong... It was an adventure to follow these women's journey and I had so much fun learning about each character. It was thrilling with some unexpected twists! Being Asian myself, I found parts of this book comforting to read. It was interesting to see the different perspectives and issues that each friend had to face. They were able to find their own happiness going against society's expectations of them. Overall, I enjoyed the lighthearted feel and meaningful themes of this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing & Sophie Wan for this ARC.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: March 5, 2024

I was excited for the chance to read this book that sounded like a cross between Crazy Rich Asians and Oceans 8. This had the bonus of a setting in Shanghai—a place I lived for some time. Unfortunately it didn’t live up to the expectations I had set for it. While it was fun to go around some parts of Shanghai, I found the characters difficult to root for. I think on the heels of Crazy Rich Asians, I came looking for an opulent over the top wedding and left disappointed. This unfortunately didn’t hold my interest—in theory all of the things happening should’ve been exciting, but instead I was just bored.

Women of Good Fortune
By: Sophie Wan-new author for me
Published 3/5/24, read 3/2/24

✔️Asian/Chinese Lit
✔️ Women's Fiction
✔️ Romance
✔️ Heist
✔️ Multiple POVs
✔️ 3 BFFs/female friendships

This is the story of a high-society Shanghai wedding with a reluctant bride Lulu and her two best friends Rina and Jane. Each woman has their own motives, but are tired of the sexism and misogyny in their lives. They devise a plan to steal all the gift money on Lulu's wedding day in hopes of gaining financial freedom and independence.

This is a male dominated world in Shanghai's high society where Lulu, Rina, and Jane are pawns. Lulu hardly knows the man she's marrying, and she doesn't even like him. Rina is a career woman being passed over for promotions to her male counterparts. And the person I feel the most for is Jane. She's an unhappy housewife with a husband who only married her for a place to stay. She has been told she's unlovable and ugly by her parents, and she just wants a divorce and some plastic surgery.

This is such a well done story about Asian and Chinese culture. Their parents are very overbearing, meddlesome, and kind of mean.
I found their lives very stifled by societal norms and gender expectations. The heist plot gives vibes from the movie w/ all women cast "Oceans 8" and "Mad Money" with the women's financial situations.

This novel is a look at life's disappointments, jobs, family, and even fertility. I loved the journey of all three women trying to navigate their lives in a conformist culture.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Graydon House for this ARC❤️ ! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

This book is quite a fun ride. I love all five women. Each one is unique and jumps off the page. I loved watching Lulu, Rina, and Jane figure out what they really wanted in life. Money is amazing but sometimes the things we truly need don’t cost money, they cost something else. The heist itself is well thought out and the buildup is beautifully done. Everything about this book is just fun and lively. Readers are going to love diving into this book, and it is the perfect choice for a book club.
Thank you so very much to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Happy Pub Day to Sophie Wan 🎉🎉🎉

I chose to travel to Shanghai this month as part of the Travel the World challenge. This is also my first book review for Women's History Month, and this story about three best friends who decide to go all out to get what they want is the perfect pick.

- Lulu comes from a poor family who relies on her to better their circumstances, so she agrees to marry a man she does not love for money
- Rina is overworked and tired of being passed over for promotions for men much younger than she is as her biological clock ticks away
- Jane comes from a well-to-do family who pressures her into marrying a man she does not know because she's been rejected one too many times for not being conventionally good-looking.

These three women must come up with a plan to get what they desire. Lulu wants to be free. Rina needs more time. Jane wants to be beautiful. In order to get the funds they need to make their dreams a reality, the three besties come up with a plan to steal all the gift money on Lulu's wedding day. Will they be able to pull it off with their friendship in tact?

This book was a rollercoaster. It was fun reading about the people they bring in on the heist and how the details come together and so anxiety-inducing with all the twists and close calls on the big day. What stood out to me was what women are willing, I use "willing" loosely because sometimes they don't have a choice, to do to appease their parents and society. Rina has to deal with an overbearing, misogynistic boss, but her situation is okay compared to Jane and Lulu's, whose future monster-in-law alone would have been enough to make me disappear. And the way Jane's mother speaks to her made my blood boil. Jane, to me, was the most interesting character. She grew up being told she was ugly and so spends her life looking for acceptance from society. She has a tough exterior, but underneath is someone who's hurt from rejection. She surprised me most of all. Great character development.

This was an insightful read that gives a look into the superficial world of the ruling class.

This was a fun mashup of Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean's Eleven. What a fun story! It was engaging and lighthearted. A perfect book to take on vacation with you.

As someone who is half Asian, I absolutely loved this. You have a bride and two of her besties (which their own things to gain) who make up this elaborate scheme to steal the money from gifts given due to the upcoming nuptials. They soon learn that it is easier said that done. There is humor, there are relationships in question, and there is even a romance. This was witty and the plot was original. The character development was excellent and the storyline flowed smoothly.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing & Sophie Wan for this ARC copy of Women of Good Fortune!


I loved all of the background and cultural information! This book was great in some parts but lacked in others. I loved the idea behind the whole wedding heist but feel it could have been executed in a different way.

I didn't enjoy this much - Felt too catty but it was definitely entertaining - Maybe it was just my mood then?
Could frankly have stuck to one character's POV and i would have liked it much more

Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan is a captivating novel that takes place during a lavish Shanghai wedding in high society. The story follows a reluctant bride and her two best friends, all of whom are tired of the way society mistreats women. Together, they devise a plan to steal all the gift money on the wedding day. This debut novel is joyous, indulgent, immensely clever, and a delightful romp through the world of the elite. Wan's writing sparkles with humor and heart, making it a must-read for anyone looking for a fresh and entertaining story.

A whirlwind ride about three friends in Shanghai who decide to steal one of the friend's wedding money and abscond with it to achieve their dreams. This was a really in-depth look at the different pressures placed on women and their role in contemporary Chinese society. Each of the three women (Lulu, Rina, and Jane) were all very fleshed out and their insecurities and anxieties were very believable. I loved watching them all work through their doubts about themselves and really come into their own.

I would have loved more crazy heist antics, but this was still very enjoyable!

After a short whirlwind romance, Lulu is engaged to be married to one of Shangai's wealthiest bachelors, Harv. By marrying into his family, she will be able to provide for her parents, who face many hardships, for years to come, but is it worth her own unhappiness? Lulu's two best friends, Jane and Rina, are also in need of extra cash. Jane struggles with her self-image and is in need of a little extra money to afford extensive plastic surgery to help build her confidence. At the same time, Rina, a workaholic trying to climb her way up the company ladder, wants to invest in her future by freezing her eggs. Knowing that Harv's family's friends will give money generously at their wedding, Lulu, Jane, and Rina decide to take advantage of the situation by planning a heist to steal the money in pursuit of their happiness. Will their plans play out in their favor, or will it all come crashing down?

This was a fun and lighthearted read! I loved the theme of female friendship and found myself rooting for the characters to find their happy ending. I also really enjoyed learning more about Chinese culture and wedding traditions. One thing I did not love was the pacing. The first half of the book moved very quickly through the months leading up to the wedding (each chapter was a new month). I felt like I was missing something because of how fast the author moved on to the next month. The second half of the book focused primarily on the night of the wedding and heist, which made that part feel like it went on forever compared to the beginning. Parts of the heist also felt messy. It was hard to track who was involved in what, but it could have just been the author's intention to try and trick the reader. Overall, I liked this book and still thought it was a good read. It was somewhat of a cross between Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean's 8. This is Sophie Wan's debut book, and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future. I give it 3.5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!

A wedding heist by the bride and her two best friends… can it be done? Lulu is engaged to one of the most eligible and rich bachelors in China, Harv. Harv’s family is expecting him to marry and have kids so that he can continue his family name, while Lulu’s family (namely her mother) wants her to marry rich so that they are taken care of for life. Harv’s mother treats Lulu awfully and is very controlling, while Harv’s dad treats Harv like a child. Lulu’s own mother is out for what best suits her and is all about what Lulu can give her rather than appreciating her for who she is and what Lulu might want in life.

Lulu’s two best friends realize that Lulu does not want to marry Harv, essentially because she didn’t have a choice and because it will not be for love. Rina and Jane come up with a plan to steal all of the red envelopes stuffed with money at Lulu & Harv’s wedding, split the money three ways, and each get what they most desire.

Months of plotting, planning, lying, scheming, and hilarious antics that set the girls up for a wild ride to the wedding.

I would ideally give this book 3.5 stars, but rounded up to 4. The novel was fast and slow paced at the same time. The POV hopping made the characters have more depth and as the reader, you could see all of their internal struggles with the heist and what bothered them about the life they had.

This book is a really interesting read. The focus on living the life that you want vs what those expect of you is challenged by the structural framing of patriarchy (marriage, beauty, and wealth). However, friendship and the desire to create a life that you would like to try to disrupt the oppressive dynamics of this friend group.

Counterfeit meets Crazy Rich Asians in this funny, heartfelt debut novel.

Read it if you like:

🕴 Heist tropes
💞 Strong female friendships
✨️ Lighthearted reads

Women of Good Fortune's core is a high-society wedding between Lulu, a girl from a humble background, and Harv, Shanghai's most eligible (and crazy rich) bachelor.

Despite Harv's wealth, Lulu doesn't want to get married and confides in her two best friends, Jane and Rina.🧡

Jane and Rina have struggles of their own, but they all need money to fulfill their dreams. The solution is simple - the three agree on stealing Lulu's wedding gifts and disappear.

Wan's narrative is so lighthearted and funny, even though the novel touches on heavy teams such as meeting a demanding's family expectations, struggling with career growth as a woman, and navigating an unhappy marriage. ✨️

It also gives us a glimpse of Asian culture, which is wonderful to discover if you have a different cultural background.

Parts of the book felt a little flat for me, and I didn't like Jane too much (for reasons you'll discover if you decide to give this book a chance).

Overall, Women of Good Fortune is a fast and fun read!

Thank you Graydon House, Sophie Wan, and NetGalley for this e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

**Review originally published on Instagram on March, 4, 2024.**