This book introduces intriguing elements, including Renee’s first love, Yap Ket Siong, who reappears after breaking her heart during university. Their passionate night together contrasts with Ket Siong’s dangerous pursuit of vengeance for his family. While the premise holds promise, the execution falls short. The story’s pacing occasionally drags, and character development lacks depth. Cho’s writing style is engaging, but the emotional impact could have been stronger.

Overall, I didn't hate this story, but I didn't love it either. Solid middle of the road read for me.

Initially when reading this book, it felt like a mix of succession, crazy rich Asians, and maybe a little when Harry met Sally, but it didn’t end up panning out that way. This book was definitely not a “rom com” although it’s marketed that way. Renee and Ket Siong had so little chemistry and I wish they just talked to each other more?? Nearly no spice, and fade to black scenes were kind of awkward.

I have been a devoted reader of Zen Cho, and continue to be awed by the originality and her ability to mix sci-ci/YA motifs and Asian traditions. So there was no way I would not get my hands on her first romance novel, The Friendzone Experiment.
The heroine, Renee is a thirty-year-old, Singapore-bred, beautiful and successful woman who owns a thriving women's clothing company and lives in London. She is estranged from her family for quite a long time, but out of nowhere her father calls and asks her if she wants to compete against her brothers and take over Chahaya, one of the largest conglomerates in SE Asia. At around the same time, she bumps into her college sweetheart Yap Ket Siong who seems to be seeking the reason for the death of his Malaysian friend...
It's romance intertwined with mystery/suspense sprinkled with a bit of "Crush Landing on You" themes, and I immensely enjoyed reading about Renee's past/present relationships with family/friends/men, the Malaysia/Singapore roots, the business etc.
As a romance lover I would have loved more zsa zsa zsu moments between Renee and Ket Siong, but the mystery part was very intriguing so I am not complaining. It's fantastic to see a lot of great romance novels with Asian heroines coming out this year with different sub-genres. I love each and every one of them, and keep coming back for more.
Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC!

4.5 stars

Once I realised that this isn't a romcom as marketed(pretty much within the first chapter), but more of general fiction with shades of family saga and a romantic sub-plot, I was able to truly dive in with adjusted perceptions and enjoy the ride. Both leads are well-crafted, three dimensional, and actually act their ages. I also appreciated how they both have very valid non-dramatic-plot reasons for avoiding their feelings and staying apart/as friends. Both had their own personal journeys of growth and healing to do -- they were easy to root for as individuals and a couple. It was refreshing to read a book that managed to balance the fun (and humorous) with the realistic, whether it was the plot's and the characters' interrogation of their own privilege and their part in the world's inequalities, or the lack of caricatures that proliferate many such stories (instead, here we got a solid supporting cast with their own depth without taking away page time from the leads). I love Zen Cho's fantasies, but now I'll be keeping an eye on any future contemporary stories that she writes!

for the ARC!
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Renee and Yap Ket Siong shared moments of uncertainty in college, teetering between romance and friendship, until Yap Ket Siong had to return home for undisclosed reasons, leaving Renee heartbroken. Fast forward several years, Renee is now a successful businesswoman with a powerful father, although she can't rely on her family for anything but judgment. Despite her success, she feels lonely. When she encounters Yap Ket Siong again, old feelings resurface for both of them, but they hesitate to act on them for various reasons. This slow-burn romance, laced with a bit of mystery, was enjoyable to read, and I found myself rooting for both Renee and Yap Ket Siong, individually and as a couple. This was my first time reading Zen Cho, but it won't be my last. Thanks to Bramble for the ARC!

I picked this up on an absolute lark since I've really enjoyed the author's fantasy work and am so glad. I'm not typically a romance or contemporary reader but the characters just just so endearing. A lovely break and romantic escape; I'd definitely check out another by her in this vein.

My initial impression of this novel was that it was like the Southeast Asian version of the tv show Dynasty. It has: siblings duking it out for the CEO position of a business empire, attractive badass girlboss with bad taste in men, the-princess-and-the-pauper type of romance, tons of daddy issues, and a healthy sprinkling of backstabbing all around. This much is true. At one point it even started feeling like a Hallmark Christmas movie or those novels where a jaded workaholic reunites with their childhood sweetheart in their hometown while saving said hometown in the process.

However, what I did not expect was the casual acknowledgement of rampant corruption in the Malaysian government that makes it possible for businesses to go around laws meant to protect the environment. No one’s hands are clean, not even the protagonist. Romance as a genre is largely fantasy but that one aspect sure was grounded in reality. I would have liked to see more of the political fallout instead of a neat summary, but I can get how that might ruin the warm and fuzzy vibes expected of a romance novel.

This was such a fun contemporary romance read. I really enjoyed it. I found the character to be entertaining and the plot to move at a good pace that kept my interest throughout the novel as the plot went up and down

A deftly written contemporary romance between an ambitious, successful woman from a powerful (but unpleasant) family and an old flame who hurt her badly back in college and who for family reasons has ended up in a low-key, modest life in London. The relationship between the two leads feels real and appealing. Cho writes with careful nuance to the complex situations they find themselves in and offers a lot of well observed interactions between people and social settings. The story's HEA feels earned (including for secondary characters). A good read.