I really enjoyed this book! The characters were so vibrant and had so much potential and life in them. The stories throughout were marvelous and I enjoyed all the recipes too. Anyone who doesn't really like magical realism may not really like this book.
I love imagining that magical things like these could happen. And that food could cure or help in different ways. And in some ways it truly does.
I liked the progression of the story and relationships blossoming.
A lovely, fun, read.

Charm and warmth infuse each and every page of NATALIE TAN'S BOOK OF LUCK AND FORTUNE in a way that is wholly unlike anything I have read before. It makes you feel full - and I'm not just talking about the recipes or descriptions of food peppered throughout, though this is certainly not the book to read on an empty stomach. No. It'll make you feel emotionally full, your heart brimming with infectious joy. Roselle Lim's wonderful debut weaves magical elements through key themes and topics such as love in all its forms, legacy, grief, mental illness, hope, estrangement, holding onto traditions in a shifting atmosphere, among others. I enjoyed every bit of this book and I have no doubt that others will surely feel the same.

Roselle Liim has penned an informative light read especially for those who love to cook. She gives insight into the Chinese culture with her many recipes and words of wisdom from her colorful characters. Even though I know little about the Chinese cuisine, I am tempted to try some of the recipes in her delightful novel.

Lovely and heartwarming and charming and magical. <3 I cannot wait for more from this author. Loved her lyrical descriptions.

Let me preface this review by saying that I love magical realism genre and I would devour books with decadent food descriptions. So when I received the ARC copy of Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune, I was beyond excited to read it. This novel tells the story of a prodigal daughter's redemption as she finds her way back to her community after the sudden death of her beloved, yet estranged mother. We follow Natalie Tan's journey to Chinatown San Francisco and we find that the community is struggling to survive as gentrification encroaches. Encouraged by her late mother's last letter, Natalie tries to revive the Chinatown community by reopening her grandmother's Chinese restaurant and discovers many secrets of her family along the way.

I quite enjoyed the mouth-watering description of the cooking process and ample food porn scenes throughout the novel. I would have eaten this up if this book was just filled with those. That said, I found the rest of the story much less enjoyable. Our heroine is a Disney Princess/culinary prodigy with a touch of grandiose delusion who can't seem to make up her mind. Birds seem to follow her everywhere. She can reproduce her grandmother's most complex recipe perfectly in just one try. Everyone around her constantly tells her that she's the only one who can save the community and she truly believes it, but as soon as trouble arises, she's ready to turn around and give up. She blames her tendency to flee (among other issues) on her father's absence and gladly reminds you that several times throughout the story. Natalie/the author also has a penchant for dispensing similes that are out of this world. Some of them are novel and creative, but most of them are pretty absurd, like "attempting to squeeze a fistful of water." Unfortunately, they are also everywhere, like "fruit flies in the heat of summer."

There are other pretty jarring issues with the overall story, but hopefully it can be salvaged with rigorous editing.
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I read this book in one day and thoroughly enjoyed it. Recipes, heritage, romance, family drama and some magic. What's not to love? Set in a fading San Francisco's Chinatown neighborhood, the author explores one's misperceptions about family and friends and about following one's dreams.