I have been trying to get through this for about 2 years, (didn't even realize) after making it to the 26% mark, I began skimming and read through to the (predictable) end. Although this historical setting, WWII in China following a German Jew, Ernest, and a Chinese woman, Aiyi, it still managed to feel like West Side Story re-telling. I won't be counting it toward my reading goal this year this year.

For years I've been very interested in real life based stories dated on WWII, with this book was the first time I heard about Jews being refugees in Shanghai and it drew my interest immediately. This is a love story with deep cultural shocks and unfortunate historic context, which I found very realistic and not necessarily the type that makes you feel hopeful about love.

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon First Reads for the complimentary copy. I enjoyed it really much.

I really didn't care for the writing style of this book. The characters were just too shallow and the writing was too choppy.

Very good but so tragic. Would have loved just a little more of something or maybe less? I enjoyed the historical significance but the romance got messy towards the end. Beautiful but hard to read.

Weina Dai Randel's The Last Rose of Shanghai explores a less-examined setting of WWII - Shanghai and the experience of Jewish people there.

This story explores the Japanese occupation through the characters of Aiyi Shao (a young heiress from Shanghai) and Ernest Reismann (a Jewish refugee from Germany). Their shared love for jazz brings them together, but circumstances beyond their control threaten to tear them apart.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

In a Nutshell: First half pretty good, second half is a cheesy, corny mash. Offers a decent look at Shanghai during WWII, but the romantic relationship overshadows the war story.

Story Synopsis:
1940, Shanghai. Twenty-year-old Aiyi is the owner of a successful night club. Rich and beautiful, she appears to have firm control over her life, but she knows her future path. She is engaged to another rich Chinese, and she knows she'll be expected to give up her business and settle into the life of a glam wife. When a young German Jewish refugee named Ernest Reismann joins her club as a pianist, her life changes, her dreams change. But can she change her future, risking it for an impoverished refugee who'll never be accepted by her people? Add to this the increasingly unstable local environment, thanks to the Japanese occupation. How will life turn out for Aiyi and Ernest?
The story comes to us from the first person perspective of Aiyi and the third person perspective of Ernest, with brief interludes from Aiyi in 1980.

Where the book worked for me:
😍 While still a WWII story, the plot offers a perspective not usually seen in this genre: that of the Japanese-occupied Chinese and the refugee Shanghai Jews. It was enlightening to learn about this aspect of WWII.
😍 Often, stories of struggle are written from the point of view of middle class or impoverished characters. Aiyi being rich gives us an angle not often seen in historical fiction: that of a wealthy young heiress who does her best to be independent despite the constraints of her time and location, and at the same time, being proud of her financial status and beauty.

Where the book left me with mixed feelings:
😐 There are quite a few metaphorical bits that seem to take inspiration from Chinese sayings. These were thought-provoking. But as the rest of the book was straightforward in its writing, these felt forced in.
😐 Aiyi isn't a likeable character. While she should have been inspirational by virtue of being a successful business owner in a patriarchal world, she is shown as selfish, judgemental, and short-sighted. She doesn't shy away from flaunting the rewards of her wealth, and looks down on those who are careless about their appearance. This adds a nice challenge to the story: how to be patient with a character who gets on your nerves. The book can be called a coming-of-age story, with Aiyi's character as the lynchpin.
😐 While the plot reveals a lot about Shanghai history and culture, it also contains a lot of stereotypes about China. The only person to see Shanghai in a positive light was Ernest. From Aiyi, all we get is cliches.

Where the book could have worked better for me:
😒 The story has too many indecisive characters who are made to abruptly change their minds in order to alter the direction of the story. It felt like a lazy way of adding twists to the plot. Characters go randomly from good to bad to good to bad, relationships switch randomly been on and off and on and off,…
😒 I'd have loved less focus on the romantic angle and more on the social angle. The romance was too instant to be believable.
😒 There's too much of telling on the writing and yet, many important details aren't told. Time jumps happen like nobody's business.
😒 There's a secret in the book. You can guess the big reveal at least 30-40 chapters before it happens. (The book has 92 chapters!)
😒 There's only one Japanese guy who keeps harassing them almost throughout the book. Seriously, only one. Every time. No matter what the scene or location.
😒 One of the chapters contains a few paragraphs in excruciating detail about Japanese torture of prisoners; this is very gruesome to read. What bugs me is that this sequence has absolutely no bearing on the main plot. It's just that one character goes to that location, we get a few paragraphs of horrifying information, and the character is out. What was the point of that segment? Just to create some kind of impact of the brutality? It felt so out of place!
😒 There are many more grouses I have but all of those would require leaking of spoilers. So just know, quite a lot of silly things happen in the second half, events that make no sense at all! Too many ad hoc alterations and exaggerations. The second half messed up all the good feelings created in the first 50%.

Basically, while I did enjoy some aspects of the book, the second half came straight out of a bad television soap. The writing is too convenient, the characters are mostly hackneyed, and the only redeeming factor about the romance is the unusual Jewish-Chinese combo.

A skippable book. Read if you must, move on if you can. (Also note, this is an outlier review. So feel free to ignore all I said and give this a go. A majority of readers loved this book.)

2.8 stars. (4 stars for the first quarter, 3.5 for the second quarter, 2 stars for the rest. Hence averaged to 2.8 stars.)

My thanks to The Last Rose of Shanghai and NetGalley for the DRC of “Lake Union Publishing”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This was a great story about a topic I was not familiar with, the situation in Shanghai during WWII. The characters were interesting and the storyline was compelling.

I received a free copy of The Last Rose of Shanghai from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thankfully, I really enjoyed it! I am a huge fan of historical fictions and have read a large number that are WWII focused. This was my first novel diving into the Japanese occupation of Shanghai and it's surrounding areas.
It was well written, a rollercoaster of a storyline that was easy to understand and follow, but yet still turned you on your head in the final chapters. I wish I had this book in physical form because I would mail it off to a friend ASAP so that we could discuss.

The Last Rose of Shanghai was a beautifully written novel and you can tell that Weina Dai Randel did extensive research before writing it. I love reading historical fiction and this was the first novel that I read that told the story of Jewish refugees arriving in China during WWII. I really did enjoy reading this book and loved all of the characters. There were times when the pacing felt a bit slow but overall I felt that this was a five star book.

What a story!!! Love… war … and what we would do for love.. I love historical stories & this one sent me to that time period.. And enlightened me on things I did not know about! Great read! Thank you for the ARC!!!

3 stars

I have fallen in love with the first half of this book. Everything that was there, was making me anxious to read more and learn what will happen next. Well, that ended quite abruptly when the main character turned out to be a very spoiled and unlikable person. I just couldn’t really connect myself to her and I didn’t care what was going to befall her as she didn’t care for anybody at all. Except for herself of course. Her decisions has hurt so many people around her. She ruined almost everything that others had built for her so she could have a nice and comfortable life. When something happened and she didn’t want to take responsibility for what she did, she just walked away. Just like that, like it wasn’t very important or didn’t change anything in other’s lives. I get that it was a difficult time, war and all, but it doesn’t really convince me that she had the right to do that. Plus, at the very end she was trying to make amends for what she did then. I mean, it was a little too late for that, no? And, like always, Aiyi was behaving like the spoiled and rich person she was: she just decided she can buy anybody with her money.

As much as I couldn’t take any more of Aiyi in the second half of the book, I just loved the fact that it was set in Shanghai. Even as the city was being wrecked in a war, with people dying on the streets and in camps, it was still a beautiful place. The author has really put a lot of thoughts and heart in creating this part of her book. I really admire how well she did that and in my eyes it has salvaged the novel for me.

Although this is an interesting story and I liked the interracial relationship, The Last Rose of Shanghai doesn't have the character development and rich narrative that I had hoped for. While the historical nature of the novel and the events which occur are compelling, the narrative lacks depth of development. Without the depth in the characters and their relationships, the novel feels fictional (whereas some fiction feels true) and doesn't elicit the expected emotional response (at least for me). A solid effort with some beautiful narrative but this wasn't a favorite for me.

This was such an interesting read for me. I’ve read many WWII stories before this but this one still surprised me in a good way mainly because I didn’t realise there were so many refugees who fled from Europe to Shanghai.

This story follows Aiyi, a wealth heiress who owns a nightclub in Shanghai. It really is quite a feat for a woman to own one in 1940. While she is trying to keep her nightclub afloat, she met a Jewish refugee, Ernest who could play the piano. Despite having feelings for each other and understanding how impossible it is to be together, Aiyi wanted to spend more time with Ernest by hiring him as the pianist for her nightclub. It didn’t fare well with the Chinese and expat community. Aiyi had responsibilities to her family but she can’t deny what her heart wants. How will Aiyi decide and what fate awaits her decision?

It turns out Shanghai was a safe escape for European Jews from 1938 to 1941. During that period, there were about 20,000 Jewish refugees settling in Shanghai but their lives and living conditions were harsh due to the Japanese occupation and their German allies. Although this is a fictional story, some of the characters such as Emily Hahn, an American journalist, Laura Margolis who led the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s to support refugees in Shanghai and Victor Sassoon who built The Peace Hotel, are real.

I love the vivid setting of Shanghai, with the contrast of jazz clubs, fancy hotels and life in the ghetto. I also love the distrust and communication between the Chinese, Japanese and foreign expats who are trying to survive in a city at war. It’s very interesting how they all try to co-exist but also try to establish who is the more dominant party.

I love Aiyi and Ernest’s character separately but I don’t fancy their love-at-first-sight connection and I couldn’t feel their chemistry. Their love story seemed bit too dramatic at times and their love feels more like physical attraction than anything else.

Overall, I still enjoyed reading the historical aspect of the story! Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc.

Set in the 1940s, two people from different cultures are drawn together by fate and the freedom of music. Their story happens at a time when Shanghai is occupied by the Japanese, and other foreign powers.

There is a saying that sugar and salt should not mix, but the two lovers, Shao Aiyi, a wealthy businesswoman; and Ernest Reismann, a Jewish refugee fall in love regardless.

The story is certainly atmospheric. I've come to expect vivid descriptions in historical fiction novels, and this book delivered on that.

I found the character of Aiyi strangely contradictory at times, and I wasn't so convinced of her love for Ernest throughout the book. However, the character of Ernest more than made up for it. Without spoiling anything, his being a refugee and the struggles that come with it make up the heart of this book.

Towards the end, the narrative lags, but in my opinion, the ending is satisfactory.

I give this 3.5 stars.

Normally I avoid books that are hyped up, because I'm usually left disappointed. That was not the case in this book. I was truly invested and intrigued from beginning to end. My emotions were all over the place while reading. The story line was heartbreaking, enjoyable and entertaining. Although it was a complete story, I did not want it to end. It was just such a great and very enjoyable read

I received a copy of the book via NetGalley and leaving an honest review of my own thoughts.

"The Last Rose of Shanghai" by Weina Dai Randel is an interesting example of historical fiction merged with historical romance. It is a story about the forbidden love between Aiyi Shao, a wealthy heiress and nightclub owner in Shanghai, who hires Ernest Reismann, a penniless Jewish refugee from Germany, to play the new "stride jazz" piano at her club.

Aiyi has been engaged since she was a child to Chang, an entitled, spoiled only son of another wealthy Chinese family but she falls in love with Ernest because he is so different and unexpected. Ernest and his younger sister were some of the lucky Jews who were allowed to leave Nazi Germany in the early days after their family had paid a ruinous amount for the visas. They found themselves one of the few countries who were accepting Jewish refugees.

Ernest and Aiyi quickly found there were many obstacles for their love. Aiyi’s motivation for staying away from Ernest had only a bit to do with the usual barriers of family honour and duty, and much more to do with who she is as a person who values her financial independence and takes great pride in what she has accomplished with her night club. Having resisted what she would have to sacrifice with a Chinese marriage, she did not want to find herself in the same position with Ernest.

Ernest's problem was his devotion to his sister and to the refugee community which depends on him. He desperately wants to marry Aiyi, but cannot run from those who need him. Randal's dual timelines/flashbacks provided insight into the character's lives and thoughts through themes of family, culture, loss, faith, love and war.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and Weina Dai Randel for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Aiyi Shao, wealthy, young Shanghainese woman and night club owner, is looking for a way to boost her dwindling profits and hits on a novel idea: hiring a young Jewish refugee from Berlin, to play piano in her club. It’s an innovative idea for 1940, but also dangerous, as no Chinese has hired a westerner to work for their business in the tense city, and though he plays her favored jazz songs with verve and passion, she knows she’s courting scorn from her family, and possible violence from Chinese clients and Japanese rulers. Ernest Reissmann has his own problems, trying to make enough money to care for his thirteen-year-old sister, who finds nothing for her in Shanghai, while desperately worried about his parents, still in Berlin. Things are worsening in Europe, and Shanghai is heading towards even greater chaos, and Aiyi and Ernest fall deeply for each other. This book has so many elements going for it: well-researched and presented details of the desperate, violent, chaotic situation in Shanghai as WWII progressed, a smart main character trying her best to keep her business afloat and manage her family’s negative perceptions of her and foreigners, a secret, passionate romance between two people from different backgrounds, and real people integrated skillfully into the novel. Thank you for my advanced copy!

The Last Rose of Shanghai by Wiena Dai Randal was a educational and wonderful escape into Shanghai during the1940s. If you’re a long-time follower of mine, you know that I read a lot of historical fiction. This was an era I’ve read a lot about but never had I read what it was like in Shanghai during this time. Who knew that Shanghai was a safe harbor for Jews escaping Nazi Germany? Certainly not me and I’m so glad that the author introduced me to this part of world history.

Aiyi is a complicated, strong and smart woman, which make her unique as most women have the desire or are encouraged to stay at home to raise the kids. Aiyi owns one of the hottest clubs in town and has a passion for music. When she meets Erwin, a young Jewish refugee, her life changes in ways that were never expected.

Erwin is musically gifted and his gentle nature is something Aiyi isn’t familiar with in a man. In her culture, men don’t show emotion, so Erwin is a breath of fresh air.

This novel covers a wide breadth of topics including arranged marriages, race, unknown history of WWII, motherhood, sibling relationships, hope, love triangles, music, women’s’ rights and so much more. Historical fiction fans will love this book.

The Last Rose of Shanghai is a powerful story of the relationship between a Shanghai heiress and a Jewish refugee, set against the backdrop of a nightclub in China on the eve of the Second World. The story was fascinating and totally kept my interest. Thank you so much for a great read. I will be looking out for future books by this author.

A book set in a country and during a turbulent time that I have not read about before. I was immersed in another culture and period and gripped by such detailed facts and the journey the characters took me on. Well done to the author.