In Women of Good Fortune, Sophie Wan weaves a tale set in the glitzy backdrop of high-society Shanghai, where the protagonist, Lulu, finds herself on the brink of a marriage she's not sure she wants. Despite reservations, she's enticed by the promise of financial security for her family. With her inner voice urging caution, Lulu turns to her two best friends: Rina, striving for recognition in her career while battling the pressure of time, and Jane, trapped in a lavish yet suffocating marriage, yearning for independence.

United by their frustrations with societal expectations of women and their shared desire for financial freedom, the trio concocts a daring plan to steal the lavish gifts bestowed upon Lulu at her extravagant wedding. As they navigate the complexities of their scheme and confront the consequences, they discover that their pursuit of happiness comes with unexpected sacrifices and moral dilemmas.

Through humor, heart, and a touch of suspense, Women of Good Fortune delves into the intricacies of friendship, love, and the pursuit of fulfillment in a society where money often dictates one's fate. Sophie Wan's debut novel offers a poignant exploration of the lengths people will go to in their quest for security and self-determination.

I found this book to be a delightful mashup of Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean’s 8! It offers a fascinating peek into the opulent lives of Shanghai’s elite while also delving into the intricacies of class dynamics and family hierarchies in China. The plot, while engaging, also sheds light on the topic of government surveillance, providing an eye-opening experience for readers. Despite not taking itself too seriously, the story serves as a celebration of female friendship and defiance against societal norms. The short chapters, engaging story, vivid setting descriptions, and lighthearted tone made it easy for me to become immersed in the drama. Sophie Wan's writing effortlessly draws you into the story, and before you know it, you're entangled in all the twists and turns. Overall, I recommend this book for anyone interested in both women's rights AND women’s wrongs.

Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan offers a thrilling blend of friendship, rebellion, and heist adventure. Three best friends respond to the challenges of a patriarchal society by planning a wedding heist. This novel is a delightful escape, perfect for readers looking for a fun and entertaining read. While not to be taken too seriously, Wan's story is a celebration of realistic female friendship and defiance against societal norms.
If you support both women's rights AND women's wrongs, I recommend this book.

Think Crazy Rich Asians with a fun heist. Lulu is preparing to marry a rich man. A high-society wedding in Shanghai means a large guest list and many large amounts of cash in cards at the wedding. Parts of the story were predictable, while there were some twists that caught me off guard. None of the story line was realistic, but it was still fun to explore. Reading about the heist from all points of views was fun. Many of the characters were just in it for themselves. This was a story about how families are not perfect, friendship and portrayal.

I think I went into this with the wrong expectations. I read that it was a cross between Crazy Rich Asians and Ocean’s Eleven, and was expecting it to be an elaborate heist with a decent amount of humor. And it was! But it was mostly a drama. Women of Good Fortune is the story of three friends who are unsatisfied with their different aspects of their lives, and plan a heist under the assumption that money will solve their problems.

The characters were very compelling, and I found myself very invested in two out of three of their stories. Some serious issues were tackled throughout the book. I did feel frustrated with the main characters at times, and I wish we had seen more character development throughout the book.

I really appreciated the narration, as I was able to hear the Chinese words that I would not have known how to pronounce myself.

I would recommend this if you want a book about friendship and wedding heists!

3.5/5

This book very much gives Crazy Rich Asians vibes and I love it. Note, I don't mean that this is the same story or plot. While there is a massive wedding, this story is totally different.

Lulu is by far my favorite character. Demure and underestimated. Jane is self absorbed and cold to others' feelings. Rina is a workaholic who only makes times for Jane and Lulu. Because of their differences, the heist can go off without a hitch... Or can it?

We have a great redemption arc, with some nice surprises throughout the book. I really appreciate the narrator because there's a lot of Chinese (I'm not sure the exact dialect, I'm sorry!) phrases throughout the book and being able to hear them pronounced correctly helps with the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Audio for the ARC! I really enjoyed this.

3.5 stars
First off, the narration was wonderful and I appreciated being able to listen to words and phrases that I wouldn’t have pronounced correctly in my head if I’d read the book!
I was excited when I read the blurb about a wedding heist. What’s not to love? Well, pretty much every single character in the book. I get the redemption arc and the journeys of self discovery you can experience but if you start too far down in the hole, there’s a risk of losing people before the story even starts to get going. That was definitely my experience. I stuck with it & came to like the people most of them became, even though quite a few of the transformations were quite far removed from where they started. All in all, if you can make it past the first couple of hours, the story does kick into gear!

The best way to describe this book is fun. It was entertaining, it was over the top, it was funny. I think it showed how women are treated in some cultures and also how parents can interact with their children. I thought the premise was fun - and showed some serious issues in not so serious ways. I just wanted some more from the book - more oomph. More details into the characters and more of a realistic storyline (not overall, just at times) I listened to this in less than 2 days and truly enjoyed it. Would definitely recommend it to someone looking for a fun, interesting and entertaining book.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced audio copy.

First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!
Women of Good Fortune was a fun heist book full of women centric plotting and scheming with a healthy dash of self realization and heartwarming moments. Lulu and her friends plan to steal all the gift money from her high society wedding in hopes to build new lives since they’re fed up with how women are treated in Shanghai society. The characters were funny and interesting, there were some twists I dod expect, and the growth of their friendship was believable and sweet. This was an enjoyable read even though I had a little bit of trouble getting into it at first.
3.5⭐️

Felt a little rocky to start as we were getting to know each of the three main characters. It was a love one, like one, leave one situation as they were introduced. But, eventually, they all grow in different and varied ways and have amazing and necessary arcs, so even the one I didn’t really like, gets to a great place.

Once I got into it though, it’s a highly entertaining read. Pressures and expectations (both outside and within) drive these women to find a solution to their problems. Great build and backstories, Lulu, Rina, and Jane are wonderfully individual, each in a different bind and struggling. So why not have a heist!? Playing into their strengths and circumstances, the details all align, and it’s fun and cathartic.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. And I can definitely recommend the audiobook. The narrator was so good.

I never thought a book could be so fun—“Women of Good Fortune” is a crime fiction novel about a wedding turned heist. This is such a fun and interesting premise for a book, and I loved the dialogue, drama, comedy, and character development this book had to offer!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With an arranged marriage, high end purse forgery, and wedding day heist this book has all the components to keep readers interested. The storyline follows multiple characters back stories and reasonings for working together to pull off a big Shanghai heist. Think the updated version of oceans 11.

While the plot was interesting and had the potential to be a top book, I found myself a bit bored in the lulls between big events. Not to mention the conclusion had a LOT of strings to tie together which got a bit muddled. Overall the story was driven by friendship, self acceptance, and family values (or lack there of for some characters) which helped me get to the end.

While not a top read for the year or month, this was a nice light filler book.

Wan's debut is a fun book that is a little bit "Ocean's Eleven," a little bit romance, and a little bit friend drama all smooshed into one. The story follows Lulu as she frets over a wedding she felt the need to say yes to and her two friends, Rina and Jane, who are each stuck in lives that they hate. The three friends meet at Hotpot Palace and devise a scheme to steal the wedding envelopes of cash that are expected at Lulu's wedding so they can each have everything they've always wanted. I admit that it took a while for me to get into the characters, but really enjoyed how Wan had them grow through the story. There is a nice twist at the end that I didn't see coming, too. Thank you to Harper and Harlequin Audio and to NetGalley for the early listen in exchange for my honest opinion. I look forward to recommending this book.

This book gave Kevin Kwan vibes in all the best ways. I loved ALL the characters and how hard they tried to meet the expectations of everyone...except themselves. Don't we all fall into that trap sometimes? The evolution of the characters was great and I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite. A great read!

4.5⭐️A wonderful debut that can best be described as Crazy Rich Asians meets Oceans Eleven.

Short synopsis: Three best friends plan an elaborate wedding heist in hopes that it’ll bring them happiness.

Thoughts: The short chapters, engaging plot, descriptive setting and lighthearted feel made this book a win for me. Sophie Wan did a great job giving readers a glimpse of the extravagant life of Shanghai’s elite all while exploring societal norms and gender expectations. Heist plots can be a hit or miss for me, especially if the book gives off too much of a “cozy” vibe. And while this had that same comedic feel, I loved how it really centered in on the friendship between the three woman and the decisions they made for themselves. Plus, there were some amazing romance side plots that had me swooning (always a win). I had a lot of fun with this via audiobook. It was easy to escape and attend!

Read if you like:
-Shanghai setting
-Three POVs
-Rich people behaving badly
-Stories about female friendships
-Heist plots

Thank you HTP for the ARC! Pub 3/5

Such a delightful heist story with real depth and maturity. The pacing, world and character building were so well-done and the setting in high society Shanghai was perfect, as was the theme of self vs social and parental expectations — I started running the audio super fast towards the end to find out what happened!

An interesting contemporary women's fiction read that has a multicultural interest focus. This is the tale of a reluctant bride, Lulu, and her two best friends. All are fed up with the way society treats women in their high society Shanghai setting. They set a plan in motion to steal Lulu's wedding money to achieve more in their lives that may or may not lead to happiness. Read-a-likes include Crazy Rich Asians, Counterfeit, and titles by Jesse Q. Sutanto.

Sophie Wan’s Women of Good Fortune is her new novel that is a combination of Oceans 12 and Monster-in-Law movies with a glimpse of the sociology of modern China.

Three friends meet every week for a modest hot pot dinner in Shanghai, where they all live and work before Lulu’s engagement to a very wealthy businessman. The other two friends, Rina, a thriving workaholic who is single but yearns to freeze her eggs, which is not done in China; and Jane, a married woman who has champagne tastes on a beer budget, and also has such body dysmorphia that she yearns for plastic surgery, but doesn’t have enough money for such procedures.

The three hatch a plan to steal the monetary gifts safe during the wedding that’s ten months away. It seems like it would provide each stakeholder what she wants most but doesn’t have the money to purchase. For Jane, it’s plastic surgery to finally make her pretty enough to stand on her own and be proud of herself. For Rina, it would be the space to allow her to pursue her professional dreams with eggs ready to go when she is ready, and not having to try to get pregnant now. And for sweet Lulu, she just wants freedom. She wants to make her own decisions without having to have the world and her whole family’s needs on her shoulders.

They enlist a talented forger and a crazy good driver, and hatch their plan that they feel would make all of their dreams come true.

But will it ever be enough for any of them? And what will happen if it all goes wrong?

Thank you SO much for NetGalley and Harper Audio for this audio ARC!! It was heart-poundingly great, and I couldn’t put it down!

A Chinese heist centered around three women best friends and their turbulent romantic and familial woes. Firstly, I thought the audiobook narrator did a great job of bringing all the characters to life and captivating me. The actual writing was easy to fall into and you’re already tangled up in all the drama that ensues. I feel like the first 50% of the book (which is kind of too much) is setting up the characters, their dynamics with one another, and the hardships they’re facing. Once you hit the halfway point, the pacing immediately picks up and you finally get into the meat of the plot! I loved how all three women had romantic side plots, I got invested in each of their stories. The central theme is definitely about sticking up for oneself and being true about your own desires in life rather than going with what other people (especially family) want for you. I also liked how strong the friendships were between our three main characters, really focusing in on how important it is to have those female friendships during hardship.

The pacing felt both sluggish and speedy during different times of the book, but overall I was engaged the whole time. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper audio for the audiobook arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

Many thanks to Net Galley and Harper Audio for an ARC of Sophie Wan’s “Women of Good Fortune” narrated by Catherine Ho. Set in modern Shanghai, three friends, Jane, Lulu and Rina feel like they have no control over their lives. Jane’s biological clock is ticking. Rina, feeling unloved and ugly, was married off to a man who showed more interest in acquiring joint ownership of her property than in her. And Lulu was unable to turn down the marriage proposal of Shanghai’s most eligible bachelor because such a marriage would save her family from poverty. The three women decide to take control of their own lives and steal Lulu’s wedding gift money and make an escape.

This is a light, but fun book that explores friendship, love, and the value of money. As other reviewers have said, it is a cross between “Ocean’s Eleven” and “Crazy Rich Asians” and people who were fans of those movies/books will surely like this one as well. This is my first book by Sophie Wan but I am certain it won’t be my last one.

First I would like to thank Harper Audio and Netgalley for the early access to this audiobook.

This is the story of three close friends, their difficulties trying to live their lives according to their aspirations and against society's standards for women, and the heist they plan as a result.

The three main characters are not overly complex but well developed with each a unique voice and very different personalities and aspirations.
It's full of action, and the heist is very fun and satisfying but it's the human relationships that are at the heart of this book.
The pacing is excellent, and not a line or subplot felt wasted. The narrator dies a fantastic job at bringing all characters to life and giving rhythm to the story.

I had a really great time with this book!